Hoshiko's Secrets
by prettyinblack405
Summary: Inuyasha and the gang find a mysterious girl, but she proves to be more than they expected! InuKag
1. Chapter 1

Authors Note:

This is my first fan fiction story so please make sure you go easy on me in the reviews!

Also, most of these characters are not mine!

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Large gusts of wind flew towards the youkai. It screeched in pain as it's flesh tore into a million pieces. Blood rained down onto the ground as a young man stood alone. His long silver hair glistened in the sun and a large smirk appeared in his face.

"Inuyasha!"

He turned around to face the voice. He seemed quite annoyed at the sight of a young schoolgirl running towards him. She wore a small green skirt and a white sweater with green streaks on the collar. Her expression was a cross between excitement and anger.

"You could of gotten hurt, Inuyasha! You're not fully healed!" she screamed at him.

"Feh" was his only response. He crossed his arms and turned away.

'_Ugh, why does he have to act like this_?' she thought to herself. "You are too stubborn" she murmured. Then she turned away also.

"I am not stubborn!" he yelled at the miko. His acute hearing was able to detect the slightest noise and was able to hear her clearly.

Two more figures came running across the field. One carried a large boomerang that slung to her side while a small nekomata ran on her side. The other wore a large purple robe while holding onto a staff.

"Inuyasha! Are you alright?" a little kitsune came out from behind one of the figures.

"You mustn't fight! You know what lady Kaede said! Your wounds might open up again!" the figure was more clearly now, he was a young monk with black hair and his appearance was serious.

"I know what I'm doing, Miroku! Besides, I'm completely fine!" yelled Inuyasha. He grasped his arm. He felt a small tightening but nothing too serious so he let it pass.

'_Why does he lie to us? I can see his arm is not yet healed! If something would of happened to him…._' the miko's thoughts trailed off. She didn't want to think what could happen.

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The sun started to set. The cold breeze flew through her long, black hair. Her red kimono was torn around her knees and her arms. Her amber eyes gave off a shine as tears streaked down her cheeks.

'_Where are you_?' she thought.

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"Ugh, I cannot believe you, Inuyasha!" yelled the miko. "What did I do now!" responded the disturbed hanyou.

"You know better! You should of let Kaede help you! I know that your arm bothers you, why can't you admit that you're hurt?" he noticed how concerned she was.

"Don't worry so much, Kagome. My arm will heal in three days!" by now he had convinced himself that he would be fine. Kagome knew that she couldn't get Inuyasha to admit his injuries so she decided to prepare some Ramen for the gang.

After fighting Naraku, they all needed some time to rest. Especially Inuyasha, since he ended with an immense wound on his arm.

"Mmm… thanks for the delicious meal" said Miroku. "Yea, Kagome! You make the best Ramen." replied Sango with a smile. Kirara rested on her lap.

Inuyasha was gobbling down all the Ramen in his bowl. He could barely breath now with all the noodles stuffed in his mouth.

Kagome took one glance at him and shook her head.

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"Ah!"

She panted wildly as she ran through the forest. Leaves were starting to form tangles in her black hair.

She screamed louder as the branches tore at her kimono and scratched her skin leaving large red marks.

A growl came from behind her. The monster was getting closer but she was too tired to keep running. Suddenly, her legs couldn't keep up anymore and she fell onto the wet ground.

Her kimono was now covered in mud mixed with her blood. Two red eyes shone in the mists of the forest. She trembled as she thought how her long journey had been in vain.

As the monster's drool fell onto her leg the only thought that came in mind was how she had wanted to see her father again, how much she had missed him and as she felt its jaw on her side she whispered his name….

"Inuyasha….."


	2. Chapter 2

Authors Note:

I'm guessing you liked the first chapter, if you didn't, then why are you still reading?

Also, most of these characters are not mine!

* * *

The monster had now torn the left side of her stomach. The constant bleeding was making her weaker and weaker. She took one last glance at the red eyes before closing her eyes.

She saw how her life was now flashing in her mind. All the pain she had encountered throughout her young life was more powerful than the huge hole on her side.

A loud scream rang through the forest, "Feel the wrath of my Wind Scar!"

Her head was pounding uncontrollably now. She thought she was hearing things.

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"Are you feeling better?" Kagome was sitting next to the young girl. She wore the largest smile that made her feel safe.

"W-What happened?" her head was still pounding so she could barely hear the sound of her own voice.

"After we heard you screaming in the forest, we came to help. I was afraid we had gone to late but seeing you wake up, I'm hopping you will be ok." she replied.

'_That voice, it sounds so familiar' _she thought to herself.

Kagome placed a wet cloth on her head to help with her fever. Then asked her to rest some more before leaving the hut.

"Hello, Kagome! How is the girl?" asked Kaede. "She needs more rest." she replied with a fake smile.

Inuyasha was resting on a tree when Kagome arrived. "Inuyasha, I am worried about her."

"Hmm… the girl?" he said with a calm face, "You worry too much, Kagome. Kaede will take care of her."

She wanted to believe him but her wounds had been deep and nothing showed signs that she would stay alive for long.

Kagome climbed up the tree and sat next to Inuyasha. She took in a deep breath and let it out slowly then rested her head on his shoulder. He blushed a bit but rested his head on hers.

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Meanwhile……

Sango had placed her boomerang by her side for in case anyone decided to disturb her in her sleep.

A small rustling came from a bush nearby and she let Hiraikotsu fly! It cut through the brush but left a very scared Miroku shaking, with real fear in his eyes.

"Miroku! I could of killed you!" Sango yelled at the monk with fury. Yet she was relieved that he was okay.

"I'm sorry, Sango, I was wondering if you wanted some company." he replied, still shaking.

"Well, I'm perfectly fine. I have Kirara to keep me company." she stared off into the sunset with a slight smile on her face.

He stared in pure shock. "W-What is wrong with you?" she said. "Nothing" he snapped. "I'm perfectly fine also." he gave off a frown as he got up.

"Miroku! Wait… you can stay and watch the sunset with me, but only if you want to."

His frown disappeared and sat next to Sango. A red patch formed on her cheeks as she felt his hand on her lap. Then raised her hand….slap!

Miroku fell backwards with a red hand print on his face. '_It was worth it'_

He smiled.

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It was getting late and Inuyasha hadn't come down from the tree.

"Hmm….Inuyasha is acting kind of strange today."

"Why do you say that?" asked Shippo, the little kitsune showed confusion on his face.

Kagome smiled, "It's probably nothing, Shippo. Maybe he is right and I worry too much."

Inuyasha was rubbing his arm. '_Stupid arm, I must of hurt it while fighting that youkai in the forest_'

"Hello Inuyasha."

He turned to see the miko smile up at him.

"You should be sleeping." he said, never staring straight at her.

"Eh, I'm not tired. Besides, I wanted to check up on the girl before I went to sleep."

"I told you she will be fine! She'll get up soon, you'll see."

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Later that night……

'_I need to find him! If I don't the power of the Shikon No Tama will be wasted and my future will stay the same! But with this wound, I will never rise from this bed'_

The young girl cried as the thought rose into her mind. She hadn't noticed how Inuyasha was staring at her through the blinds.

'_One thing I can't stand is seeing a woman cry, what could be wrong with her_?'


	3. Chapter 3

Authors Note:

Sorry if the story has been kind of, well…weird :P I'll try and make this chapter longer and worth reading. Oh and…**Please review**!

Also, most of these characters are not mine!

(I know I keep saying that but I have to make sure you know, the mystery girl is my creation smiles)

* * *

Inuyasha entered the hut without making a single sound. He stared at the poor girl who hadn't stopped sobbing even though it made her head ache worse.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

Her entire body jumped at the strange voice in the room. She turned her head towards the hanyou in disbelief.

"I-It's….but….how?" she stammered. He sat near her and stared into her eyes. They were just the same color as his yet they shined like stars.

"Are you going to tell me what's wrong?" Inuyasha was starting to get a bit impatient with her.

"I- umm, I just….I miss my father" another tear ran down her rosy cheeks however this time they weren't of sadness but of pure joy.

"What happened to him?"

"I-well, he…." she swallowed hard, "got injured….so I came here to get help. Just I didn't do such a good job." he smiled at her. "I'll help you, just stop crying!"

She smiled back and a small glow formed in her eyes.

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"I told you so!" Inuyasha whispered to Kagome. She glared at him, "Inuyasha, Sit!" His necklace glowed as he fell face first into the floor boards. "Why must you always do that!" he growled.

The young girl was sitting up in the straw bed, holding a cup of soup, and giggled before taking a sip. Her fever had vanished yet her injuries were still not fully healed. "Thank you so much for the breakfast." she said with a huge smile.

"No problem! I'm just glad that you're okay now!" Kagome smiled back. "Me too!" said Sango and Miroku in unison. It made them blush for a split second and Kagome giggled.

"Now can you tell us about your father?" Inuyasha interrupted.

Her smile disappeared and her eyes started to water. She stared at Inuyasha as if she had lost the will to speak. She took another sip from her bowl.

-Flashback-

A scream rang outside her small hut and she heard her father yelling at her. He was telling her to run away but everything was happening so sudden that her head was spinning. She took a hold of a sack that her mother made before she passed away. Her scent was still embedded into the sack.

As she ran out of the house she was able to grab hold of a small box and her coat. Outside the cold wind made her lips hurt. She took one glance at her father. He stared at her with loving eyes before he collapsed to the floor.

"Father!" she yelled. Naraku stood over his body with a smirk on his face. She murmured a curse then stared to run. Her sensitive ears could hear Naraku coming closer but she couldn't run any faster. Then she felt something hit her hard on the back of her head that made her fall towards the ground. The box flew from her hand and landed in front of an old well.

She struggled but was able to crawl near the box. She took hold of it in her frozen hands. Then she saw a shadow come closer. She shivered and yelled, "Get away from me!"

"You aren't scared of me, are you?" Naraku said sarcastically. Anger rose in her as she took the Shikon Jewel from the box into her hands. "You will never have it! I won't let you!" he laughed at her bravery, which sent a chill down her body. Without thinking she leaped into the well, disappearing into the darkness.

-End of Flashback-

She winced in fear when she remembered his laughter in her mind. Her eyes were closed shut now. Kagome was starting to get worried, "Are you ok? Is there something wrong?" Her eyes suddenly looked up at Kagome's but never said a word. "I think you shouldn't have asked." Sango whispered to Inuyasha.

Miroku got up and sat next to the poor girl. He extended his arm around her in a large embrace. "It's going to be ok" he whispered in her ear.

Kagome and Sango dropped their mouth open to see his affection against the girl. "I haven't seen this side of you, Miroku." said Inuyasha, "I must admit, it's starting to freak me out." "What?" replied Miroku.

"What's your name?" Shippo smiled up at her, he had finally woken up and crawled on top of Inuyasha. Her head emerged from Miroku's hug. "H-Hoshiko" she said, "You are a very cute kitsune, why haven't I seen you before?" Shippo blushed and whispered, "I've been helped out Kaede pick herbal plants from the forest."

Hoshiko regained the shine in her eyes, letting a smile escape. Inuyasha saw this and smiled with her.

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The gang went out for a walk in the forest after making sure that Hoshiko was fast asleep in the hut.

Sango, Miroku and Shippo were so caught up in their conversation that they never noticed how Inuyasha and Kagome had completely disappeared.

"Wait…Miroku! Where is Kagome? And Inuyasha?" said Sango.

"Inuyasha!" screamed Shippo, almost falling off Miroku's shoulder. Miroku took a hold of his arm before he completely tipping over. "They must have stayed behind" replied Miroku.

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Meanwhile…

Inuyasha and Kagome were sitting on the edge of a river bank, eating sandwiches, and arguing between gulps of food. Somehow they always seemed to get in an fight.

"You were all over him!" said Inuyasha.

"I was not!" yelled the miko, "It's not my fault you get jealous."

"Me? Get jealous? Over what!"

"You cannot stand it when another man hugs me, just admit it!"

Inuyasha and Kagome took a bite out of their sandwiches before continuing. Their argument was based on their last encounter with Koga and the huge embrace that he had given her. Their loud screams could be heard for miles. Then the only thing that was left to hear was, "Sit!"

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"Where have you guys been?" asked Sango as Inuyasha and Kagome entered the village. They took one glance at each other then turned away with a "humph".

"Well-" started Miroku but was interrupted by a piercing noise coming from outside. It sounded like the screech of a youkai. The gang ran to face their enemy. "Inuyasha, your arm isn't healed yet!" yelled Kagome. "She's right," replied Sango.

"Feh" he lunged towards the youkai without considering his injury.


	4. Chapter 4

Authors Note:

Even though this story is a mere pass time, I'd still like to know what you think! So **plz review**!

If I make mistakes, then sowwy! I'm creating these chapters extremely fast, if I don't I'll lose my ideas! ...very sad

* * *

The monster turned around to see Inuyasha wield his Tensusaiga against him. It eyes shone red with fury. It opened it's mouth and snapped shut with Inuyasha trapped inside. 

Kagome gasped and yelled out his name.

Suddenly, the monster's head jerked back, it's long horns almost touched the dirt. The tip of Inuyasha's sword could be seen emerge from the jaw of the creature. As it yelped in pain, Inuyasha was able to jump out.

He started to pant as he hit the ground. His legs almost gave in for a second yet he was able to stand and shout back, "Is that all you got? Feh, I'm disappointed."

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Kagome's cries had woken up Hoshiko and she was now sitting up, alert. "What's going on?" she asked Shippo. "Inuyasha is fighting against a youkai but I bet his arm still troubles him."

Hoshiko started getting up. Shippo looked back at her, "Wait! You shouldn't get up! You're still injured." She ignored his complaints then grabbed her small box from her sack. As she stood up, she felt like her stomach was on fire but she had to help out Inuyasha.

She walked outside just to face Miroku who had decided to stand guard over the hut. "Hoshiko!" he gasped, "What are you doing up?"

"Where's Inuyasha?" she snapped, ignoring his question. He pointed to the direction of the river bank.

"Where are you going? Inuyasha will only get irritated by your presence, please come back into the hut, where you're safe."

She shook her head, "I can't, I have to help." He admired her bravery but knew that as soon as Inuyasha saw her, he'd get angry at him for letting her out of the hut. "Hosh-" he couldn't see her anymore, she had now disappeared beneath the trees. He murmured, "Damn it!"

'_I cannot let him fight when he's hurt! I need him_.' she thought. Her legs still had bruises on her ankles and tights which made her walk very painful. Her arms had red marks stretching from her shoulder to her wrist. And she held her stomach tightly each time she took a step.

The sound of the river was getting closer and she smiled at her progress. She could hear Kagome and Sango screaming Inuyasha's name in attempt to make him retreat. "Don't bother me!" he yelled back at them.

They heard her coming through the bushes and Kagome was ready with her bow in hand. Sango was just about to through Hiraikotsu when they saw her face. "Hoshiko?" they were surprised to see her, "W-What are you doing here? You could get hurt!" yelled Kagome.

"I know what I'm doing!" she said, '_Where have I heard that before_?' thought Kagome.

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Inuyasha had flown a couple feet in the air as the monster whirled it's tail around, getting a direct hit. Inuyasha had a cut right below his right eye. His stubbornness hadn't changed a bit, he stood up using Tensusaiga for a lift. He sneered at the beast who roared in return.

Hoshiko walked towards Inuyasha, still holding her small box. Kagome and Sango tried to make her understand but their efforts were useless. She had let lose of Sango's grasp and was halfway towards Inuyasha. The monster roared again to see his new enemy. "Hoshiko? I knew Miroku wouldn't be able to take care of a simple task!" Inuyasha said, making a mental note to beat up Miroku later.

"Now stand aside!" he said. He pushed her aside with his good arm and stood forward. He yelled a curse to the youkai before setting his sword in front of him. But before he could strike, his arm started to tighten up again and blood ran down the sleeve of his kimono. '_Damn, my wound opened!_' As he took a second to check his arm, Hoshiko saw how his blood had now stained his clothes.

The monster saw his chance and dived forward with his jaw wide open. Hoshiko extended her arm to reveal a shockingly bright light surface from her hand. It struck the beast with excellent results. The light had cut through it's skull.

It fell onto the earth, defeated.

Miroku had arrived with Shippo just in time to watch as Hoshiko killed the enormous beast. They all stood there, stunned. Inuyasha who had gotten a better view, was on his knees. His mouth was dropped open, "How did you do that?"

Hoshiko turned to face him, "Are you alright?" He nodded but still couldn't figure out how a normal human girl was able to have such powers. He knew he had seen them before, when he first met Kagome. But that was because she obtained the complete Shikon Jewel. "How did you do that?" he asked again.

She opened her hand. '_But how can she...? That's impossible!_' Inuyasha stared at the purple jewel in her small hands. As he gazed up at her, he noticed something different. She had two bumps on her head. However, when he looked closer he noticed how those weren't bumps at all, but ears; dog ears.

She smiled sweetly at him before she gave him a hug.He smiled back and held her close. He made sure that none of his blood stained her.

Then she whispered,"I'm so glad you're alright, father"


	5. Chapter 5

Authors Note:

Since I've gotten your attention so far, can you **please review**?

I really want to know what you guys think of my story!

Any suggestions to make it better or just plain comments will help!

* * *

Last Chapter

She smiled sweetly at him before she gave him a hug. He smiled back and held her close. He made sure none of his blood stained her.

Then she whispered, "I'm so glad you're alright, father"

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Inuyasha let go of her embrace. His eyes were locked on hers. He was trying to find something that showed she was being delusional or maybe the fever had gotten to her head. But he only found that sparkle in her eye that made him smile. Hoshiko giggled for only a second but it felt like time had stopped and her smiling face would never go away. Or that's what he hoped.

"Wait…what did you call me?" he asked. The small girl was nestled in between his red kimono and his silver hair. She then looked up.

A blush appeared on her face for she knew that her birth wouldn't come for another 3 years. '_Now what am I suppose to tell him_?' her thoughts were flying everywhere.

"Inuyasha, your wound opened! We better go back to the village." stated Kagome before rushing to remove Hoshiko from his arms.

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When they reached Kaede's hut, Inuyasha had taken off half of his kimono so that Kaede could clean it. Bandages were around his arm and every time he moved it, Kagome would glare at him. Hoshiko had lost most of her strength when she reached the hut. Her sleeping body was resting against Inuyasha's back.

'_Why did she call me that_?' he looked down at Hoshiko. She wore a smile on her face which was always there when Inuyasha was near. '_Hmm…_'

"She looks so peaceful" said Miroku. Inuyasha looked up and nodded. "What happened at the river? Tell us, Inuyasha."

He looked down for a second, he didn't want to look at Miroku in the eyes. "She-" he stopped. "She-what?" Kagome said. "She- has the jewel. She held it in her hands. And- she called me- father." After that, everyone was quiet. All eyes were on the sleeping girl.

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Yellow, orange and purple lights had gathered around the clouds. A cold gust of wind passed through her hair which gave her a chill.

'_The sun must be setting_' Hoshiko thought. She collected a small bouquet of flowers that had been hand picked from the hill behind her house. Daisies were her favorites. It always felt like a paradise when she sat on that hill and watched the sunset. Her father never accompanied her so it was shocking to see him walking up the hill towards her.

"Look father! I picked these for you!" her smile extended from one ear to the other as she gazed up at him. His expression never changed. Hoshiko stared deep into his eyes wanting to find his warm, loving gaze. Yet she never found it.

She stood up to face him. Her face was puzzled. '_Why is he acting like this_?'

"Is there something wrong?" she begged him for an answer but he stayed quiet. Never moving or letting her out of his sight. All of a sudden, his eyes changed color to a bright red. His fangs grew and so did his claws. She gasped in horror and took a hold of his arm. "Father! Snap out of it! It's me, Hoshiko!" she yelled, desperately wanting him to change back. But instead, he raised his arm and slapped her hard on her face. She tumbled half-way down the hill, then got up and started to run to her house.

She could hear his breathing getting heavier. His footsteps coming closer until she threw open the door to find her mother lying face-first in a pool of blood. Slashes could be seen on her pale cheeks, her eyes had turned a baby blue pigment, and her right hand held something small and white. It seemed she used her last breath to grab onto a daisy that Hoshiko had brought her the last night. Tears swelled up in her eyes.

Before another tear fell onto the ground, she felt something grab her tight.

As Inuyasha raised his hand, she could see how his claw was stained with blood already. A smirk suddenly formed on his face and he let his hand fly towards her chest.

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Hoshiko screamed.

"What's wrong with you?" Inuyasha yelled.

Hoshiko was sweating. She panted heavily as she looked around the room. It was Kaede's hut. '_Then… that must have been a nightmare_?' she asked herself. "Uh, I-I had a bad d-dream" she kept panting until she let her tongue hang from the side of her mouth after collapsing onto the straw bed.

Relieved that nothing like that could ever happen, Hoshiko took one last glance around the room. It was now empty. Not even Kaede had stayed behind. "Where is everybody?" she asked Inuyasha. "Feh, they left."

She nodded to show him she understood then decided that she had enough rest for one day. As she tried to position herself up-right, her stomach started to tightened up. '_Crap_!' she thought. '_Why won't it heal_?' her frustration was clearly written on her face.

"You shouldn't struggle so much."

"Eh?"

"You'll make it worse." Inuyasha said.

She giggled a bit. "What?" he seemed confused. "And you are the one who should be telling me this?" replied Hoshiko with a grin. "As I recall, I wasn't the one fighting a youkai when my arm was obviously injured." He gave her a look, like he didn't want anyone to remind him. Her grin never faded.

"Why did you call me that? At the river bank?" he thought that if he didn't ask right now, he'd lose his chance.

Hoshiko tried to evade the question, "Did you notice that Kagome and I have the same hair-do?" Her fake smile wasn't fooling anyone. "Answer my question" he replied.

She gave a heavy sigh. "You mean, why I called you "father", right? Well, that's because…" her head hung down as if what she was saying was shameful, "I'm not from here, not this time period. I come from the future. About 15 years into the future." Hearing that Inuyasha hadn't said anything or even breathed, she continued, "I used the Shikon No Tama to travel through the well in the forest so I could find you. I didn't lie when I called you that, I-I am…your daughter."

By now, Inuyasha was so stunned that not even Kagome's "sit" would make him change that weird expression on his face. His left eye twitched a bit while his nails were consistently striking the floor boards. "You ok?" she asked. Seeing he wouldn't move she decided to tap him on the shoulder. But this only made him fall to his side with a loud "thump!"

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Kagome, Sango, Miroku and Shippo had arrived at the hot springs at last.

"This will be great!" said Kagome and Sango nodded in approval. "You better not spy on us, pervert!" yelled Sango at the poor monk. "I would never!" his eyes said differently yet they ignored it and went to their side of the hot springs. An enormous rock formation emerged from within the middle of the water which let the girls have their privacy while Miroku and Shippo took a nice soak on the other side.

"How are you girls doing? enjoying the water?" screamed Miroku from the other side of the rock to show them he wasn't doing anything mischievous. "Yes, the water is amazing!" yelled Kagome in return.

"Hey Kagome! Don't you think it's odd that Hoshiko called Inuyasha her father?" Sango said. Kagome gave her a serious look, "What if she is?"

"Then who would the mother be?" asked Sango, she didn't want to worry her but Kagome might be asking herself the same question. Did Inuyasha really hide a daughter from them? Did he even know he had a daughter? Or was Hoshiko just being delusional?

'_It must be Inuyasha's and Kikyou's daughter' _thought Kagome, it seemed quite obvious to her that Kikyou must have had a child before dying. But how could he keep such a secret from her? Anger rose in her at the thought of it. She yelled out, "He's going to pay for that!"

"Who is?" asked Miroku, he shamelessly climbed the rock and was now looking upon the girls. They both shrieked. Immediately, Sango threw her shoe at Miroku and got a exact hit on his forehead. Miroku fell off the rock onto the water below him and Shippo. The poor kitsune screamed as Miroku fell on him.

Splash!

Both Miroku and Shippo were floating in the water, completely unconscious.

"Serves him right for spying on us! Humph!" said Sango.


	6. Chapter 6

Authors Note:

No one reviews! That's depressing.

Could someone **PLZ REVIEW**? I'm getting tired of asking.

I re-wrote this chapter with some small changes. Enjoy!

* * *

Kagome was stomping towards the village. If you looked closely enough, flames had formed in her eyes. Her arms were straight down her side as she walked. Sango, Miroku and Shippo were walking behind her. No one dared talk to her when she was this angry.

"Why did she get so mad all of a sudden?" asked Shippo. Sango never stared straight at him, "We were just talking about Hoshiko. When I asked her who she thought the parents were, she flipped out!"

Her heavy footsteps rang loudly in the small village. As she entered the hut, Inuyasha was still on his side with droll escaping his mouth. "Oh, hello Kagome!" replied a smiling Hoshiko, "He's been like that for quite a while." She pointed to Inuyasha. Kagome stared at him for a second with a weird expression then walked up to him. It looked as if she would stroke his hair gently but it resulted to be a smack on his head. His ears twitched.

"Why'd you do that for?" he yelled at the miko. He had finally escaped his trace. But his thoughts were still running madly, _'How could this happen? Why did she come here? What happens in the future that forces her to search for me?_' All those questions couldn't be answered right away.

"How could you keep such a secret from me?" Kagome yelled. "What secret?" he replied. Her face cringed in anger and she pulled Inuyasha outside. "What do you mean, 'what secret?'" she yelled, "I'm talking about Hoshiko!" By now her face had turned red. He wanted to laugh but he figured she would get even more frustrated with him so he decided to hold it in. "Oh" was his only reply.

"Oh? That's it?" the miko was now bright red. It looked as if she would almost explode. "Why are you getting so mad for? I didn't know she even existed!" he said. Her face started to turn to normal until she thought he must be lying so she would calm down. "Liar! I bet that's Kikyou's daughter, huh? It must have been great when you found out it's a girl!" she yelled, not even letting him speak. "But.." Inuyasha started, "No! You don't need to tell me anything! This conversation is over!" she then stomped out of the village.

"Where are you going?" Inuyasha asked, "I'm going home, where my family and friends aren't liars!" she said with a small 'humph!'. She whirled around, walking away from him and towards the well. But only after she yelled, "Sit!". Inuyasha plummeted into the dirt, creating a large hole below him.

"What bit her in the ass?" he asked Miroku when he arrived with Sango and Shippo. Inuyasha rubbed him head. "Um, I believe she got mad at you." Miroku replied. Inuyasha pounded him on the head, "After all her screaming, I think I can figure that out!" Miroku fell onto the floor, completely knocked out.

"Inuyasha!" said Shippo, "Kagome thinks you knew about Hoshiko all this time." He nodded, "I know. But she didn't believe what I told her so she left." "You have to go and get her!" the kitsune yelled.

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Hoshiko was still inside and had heard everything. She didn't know what to make of it, but she knew that the identity of her mother had been hidden even from her. Every time she would ask Inuyasha about it, he would tell her the same thing, "When you're older and more matured." She would get frustrated with this.

He never mentioned her name or talked about her much, except for some random things, such as how her black hair always glistened in the sun, how she always had a smile on, and her amazing talent in archery. That is, before she was murdered.

Her description wasn't so clear either. Inuyasha was never good at explaining things to little girls. For all Hoshiko knew, her mother looked like a simple black haired maiden. His eyes would show a deep sorrow whenever he mentioned her so Hoshiko tried not to ask so often.

"If only he would of told me." she whispered, "He was just being a stubborn puppy." she giggled.

Yet she never complained because Inuyasha had always been a good father and protector. Though he didn't know how to raise a small hanyou, so he would often end up getting help from Sango and Miroku. Miroku was just as ignorant as Inuyasha but he knew a thing or two.

"Hoshiko! Come eat your food before I do!" that would mean, "it's dinner time". Hoshiko remembered how she would blast out her room and into the kitchen where Inuyasha would be stuffing noodles in his face. She'd shake her head and hand him a piece of cloth to clean his face with.

"Look Hoshiko! It's Ramen! Just like your mother would make it." he'd beam with a radiant glow that only came at dinner-time when he had prepared them some hot ramen.

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Kagome didn't hesitate to jump into the well. She was relieved that Inuyasha hadn't tried to stop her because she didn't want to hear anything else he had to say.

She climbed out of the well yet she was still was in the feudal era. "Hmm.. That's odd. And when did it get so dark?" she told herself. Then she heard a scream coming from the forest. Kagome immediately ran to check it out.

She got to a small clearing where she saw a tiny cabin, it had blue drapes hung along all the windows. A brown, clay pot was smashed on the doorstep and daisies were scattered all over the floor. The door had been swung open and was tapping the side of the house as the wind blew on it. '_Where did that scream come from?_' she thought. Suddenly, a small girl ran past her. '_Hoshiko? Where is she doing?_'

She saw how Naraku was standing over Inuyasha's body. Kagome gasped in horror. "Naraku! You bitch, get away from Inuyasha!" her arrow flew past the fog aiming at Naraku's head. Before it met his forehead, Naraku appeared in front of Kagome. "Ah, the miko. I thought I killed you years ago. No matter, I can kill you again." he smirked at the thought. "You can try!" she yelled in his face.

He hit her with his long tentacles and sent her soaring. She landed face first into the hard ground. Her right leg and arms got wounded badly while her face got scratched. She glared at him. The bleeding didn't stop her from throwing another arrow. This time, it past through his arm, breaking it off completely. He smirked again before disappeared into the forest.

'_Inuyasha_!' she tried to run towards him but fell twice before she ended up crawling to his side. "Inuyasha! Wake up!" she yelled desperately. "Eh…" he opened his eyes. "Kagome? Is that you?"

"Of course it's me! Now get up! We have to save Hoshiko!" the miko was starting to get worried at the look in his eyes. It seemed he had lost his sweet gaze and in place was only a look of sorrow. He saved his last breath to tell her, "I-I love…you…go save H-Hoshiko."

"Inuyasha? Wake up! It's not funny!" she saw how he wasn't breathing, blinking, or even shivering from the cold anymore. Her eyes had flames again, "Naraku…" she whispered.


	7. Chapter 7

Authors Note:

I hope you guys have enjoyed my story so far! Remember to **review** after you're done reading and if anyone ever has any questions, feel free to e-mail me! I will be more than happy to answer.

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Last Chapter

He saved his last breath to tell her, "I-I love…you…go save H-Hoshiko."

"Inuyasha? Wake up! It's not funny!" she saw how he wasn't breathing, blinking, or even shivering from the cold anymore. Her eyes had flames again, "Naraku…" she whispered.

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Tears streamed down her pale cheeks, one forming after the other. Tears mixed with sweat made her black hair stick to the sides of her face. The pain on her leg was almost intolerable as she tried to run through the brush. Branches were scratching at every wound which made it harder to move.

'_Inuyasha! Why did this have to happen?_' more tears swelled up in her brown eyes.

Finally, she reached the well. Her vision was blurry but she could make out two figures. One, she automatically knew was Naraku, but the other was too hazy. She desperately wiped the tears off. Her hands were covered in sweat which made her eyes sting yet the pain in her heart hurt worse and was too much to control.

When she looked up again, only the vile Naraku stood alone. He chuckled for a bit before turning in Kagome's direction. "I see you are also stubborn, my little miko." She panted for only a while then stood up with her head held high.

"I am not afraid of you! And I will kill you, once and for all!"

An arrow flew clear cross the trees and bushes, cutting through them completely. He flinched only a bit but it was enough to avoid her deadly arrow. He sent two tentacles towards Kagome in such force, they cut down two trees in the process.

"Ah!" in the mists and brush of the forest Naraku couldn't see clearly but he was still able to hit her right leg. She fell onto the ground. Sweat formed rapidly, streaming down her face as her leg lost blood uncontrollably. Yet she stood facing her enemy with not a single glimpse of fear. This made Naraku uneasy.

"Stupid bitch" she whispered under her breath. She took out her tiny fragment of the Shikon Jewel and forced it into her leg. The pain made her fall once more with tears of agony falling onto the earth, yet it was a small price to pay to obtain the mysterious powers of the jewel.

He smirked at her efforts, "Go ahead, kill me!" He sent two more tentacles accelerating past the fallen trees. The sound of it breaking wind through the forest was piercing enough for both of them to hear.

She thrusted her leg upwards to met the corroded tentacle. It broke into small pieces and fell on the ground. Although the other tentacle was able to meet her arm and graved hold of her.

As he pulled her up, she took out her bow and arrow behind her back. When she reached a height of 10-12 feet, she let her last arrow rush past the tentacle that held her. However, it never stopped. Which shocked Naraku as he saw the arrow soaring past his barriers.

Three more tentacles flew to his rescue to refuge him yet they failed and broke in half as soon as the arrow met them.

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Meanwhile

"I believe you are all better now, Hoshiko" replied Kaede. She placed a cloth on her back before letting her put her kimono on. "Thank you for all your help! You saved my life!" she said, beaming.

Inuyasha was offended, "Oh, so I did nothing?" He had his arms crossed on his chest and turned to face Miroku who has outside with Sango. He was helping her practice with her Hiraikotsu.

Hoshiko walked to him and sat in front of the step in which he stood. "You know I owe you more than my own life so please don't get offended." He looked down at the small hanyou. He knew he couldn't resist smiling when he saw her happy face. "Fine" he said, sitting next to her.

They stared at Miroku as Sango threw her boomerang. He gave a terrified expression before bursting into a sprint. He tripped on Shippo, who had decided to go out looking for fruit in the nearby trees. '_I should of stayed on that apple tree' _thought Shippo as Miroku frantically ran over him. As both fell, they ducked with their arms over their heads.

"Ay!" Shippo screamed. The violent wind of Sango's boomerang left their hair a complete clutter. Shippo stood for a second, "What is wrong with you Miroku!" he screamed. "DUCK!"

Shippo shrieked and dropped to the ground as Hiraikotsu came back. "Are you guys ok?" yelled Sango after she caught her weapon. "I'm fine." smiled Miroku, "I'm not! You stepped on me!" the kitsune screamed in the monk's face. "Calm down Shippo! I didn't see you." A shoe mark was visible on the kitsune's back as he walked towards Kaede's hut.

"Miroku, you idiot! You nearly killed Shippo." Inuyasha shook his head in disapproval. Hoshiko giggled. "What?" Miroku stood up to shake off the dirt on his robe, "Sango's Hiraikotsu can be very deadly. I freaked!"

"Come here Shippo! Let me see your back." Hoshiko said, she took the kitsune in her arms and cradled him softly. He almost purred at the warmth of her embrace. "You'll live" she replied with a smile.

He climbed out of her arms to climb onto Inuyasha. "What are you still doing here? You were suppose to go get Kagome!" shouted Shippo. "Feh, she probably doesn't want me to trouble her so why bother?" Inuyasha crossed his arms in anger, "You have to make her understand! Now go!" he pushed Inuyasha in hopelessly. So he decided to use his fox fire against him.

"Ouch! My ass!" Inuyasha jumped in pain and shock. "Okay, I'll go but if she doesn't say anything I'm coming back without her!" He marched out of the hut with a frown on his face.

Orange rays showed behind the trees while gray clouds formed into rectangular shapes. They circled the village in an odd manner. "Look's like rain" replied Sango. "No, i-it's something different." said Hoshiko, "I have seen this before" she murmured.

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A giant flash formed as the arrow finally met Naraku's chest. The force off it was almost too great to escape from. '_Her anger, her pain.. It's too much to fight it' _he admitted.

She landed lightly on her left leg but didn't dare to touch the ground with her wounded leg. Her eyes showed pain and suffering. Something that she thought would never sting her poor heart.

Without a warning, Naraku thrust a tentacle at her one last time. It came at her from her left side. _'I cannot let him win_!' Her right leg met the tentacle with such intensity that the entire thing fell onto the ground and started to decay rapidly until it struck Naraku. He yelled in pain, something almost like a sweet melody that Inuyasha had hopped to hear for so long.

She ran towards him even when her leg was still bleeding. The arrow was half-way to penetrate through him completely. She smirked at his troubles, and slammed her foot onto the arrow to ensure it dug deep. "Die, filthy bastard!" she yelled at his rotting face.

"My poor little miko, I shall never die." he laughed with such confidence now that made shivers appear in her body. She forced her leg onto the arrow again, making sure this time that it pierced through him.

The tentacles flew intensely as the tip of the arrow made it's way across his chest. One hit her fiercely. Her body landed only 8 feet away yet it felt like 8 miles. The momentum of her body hitting the ground made her wounds open again.

A puddle formed underneath her mixing with the mud. Her wounds stinged badly yet she still tried to stand. She knew she shouldn't force herself to stand up anymore, even though her bravery and determination was clear, her legs couldn't keep up with her weight anymore. Her eyes began to close and she dropped onto the puddle again. "Inuyasha, I love you…" she whispered softly before her eyes closed entirely.


	8. Chapter 8

Authors Note:

It took me some time to make this chapter but at least I'm done now. Whew!

Reminder: **PLZ REVIEW **:P

By the way, I think this is the longest chapter I've written.

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Inuyasha stomped through the forest with a large black mark on his behind. "That stupid little rat…" he murmured with a frown. He came upon the well in which Kagome traveled from her time to his. He stared blankly at it for a second, "Why do I always have to go and get her?" he whispered while stepping into the well. 

"She always has to get mad at me for no good reason! I'd like to see her get 'sit' someday, see how she likes it!" Inuyasha mumbled to himself while a small grin appeared on his face. He looked up, escaping his day-dream to see Kagome lying on the floor. The stench of her blood nearly made him faint, nonetheless he ran to her side. "Kagome! Kagome, wake up!" he anxiously yelled as he held her close to his chest.

He picked her up gently and sprang into the well again. Inuyasha felt his heart tightened every time he saw the unconscious miko in his arms. Tears streamed down his cheeks. "I promise you, I will always take care of you." he whispered to her softly before giving her a gentle kiss on her cold cheek.

Inuyasha kicked the door open. It swung violently and shook the small house for a brief minute. "Who is that?" screamed Mrs. Higurashi as she ran into the living room with a frying pan. "Oh my…"

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Back in the Feudal Era

Shippo snored fiercely enough for the entire village to groan in pain of their heavy eyes and the feeling that nothing could wake up the little kitsune. He was curled up next to Hoshiko. She seemed to be the only one who was sleeping well. She had gotten used to Inuyasha's thunderous snoring which sounded like he was growling at a rival who was trying to steal his bowl of Ramen.

"Sango…My love, please be gentle" Miroku whispered as he slept but jumped every time Shippo breathed in and out.

"_Inuyasha_" Hoshiko whispered in her dream, "_How can I save you_?" Suddenly, huge gusts of wind broke the cabin's door open. Sango and Hoshiko were the first to stand up in alarm. "What the hell?" Hoshiko screamed. She looked at the door that was now on the other side of the cabin. It had broke in half as it touched the back wall.

"Sango, please.." Miroku jumped at the slap on his head. "Pervert, get up!" shouted Sango. Hoshiko took Shippo in her arms and ran outside to see long white snakes flying through the village while rain fell onto the houses. They carried clear orbs in their arms and flew towards a black haired maiden. Her hair was the darkest black and she carried a quiver and arrows on her back. She accepted the orbs then walked away gracefully.

This left Hoshiko gasping. "Who was that?" she asked Shippo, "Kikyou" he answered.

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"Is she going to be okay?" Inuyasha asked Mrs. Higurashi, "Hopefully, she was badly injured. Now tell me Inuyasha, where were you when this happened?"

Inuyasha froze with a worried look.

"Um, well, I was in the village. And I-I just went to go look for her and" he gulped, "found her lying on the ground." he turned to the door. He felt too guilty to see her straight in the face. "Hmm…well then my daughter is lucky you found her before she was swallowed by whatever attacked her." Mrs. H smiled eerily.

"Yea, I guess." he walked out the door and into the living room, where Kagome's brother was pacing back and forth. "How is she!" he yelled immediately. "She seems to be okay." Inuyasha replied to the small boy. He wasn't entirely sure about what he just told Souta but he was hoping it was true.

"_Kagome, I'm so sorry_." Inuyasha's thoughts were interrupted by Mrs. H. "Inuyasha, you can go and keep her company if you wish." He nodded and started to walk up the stairs. "Wait, Inuyasha! One last thing." She held out her hand and touched his velvety dog ears. She rubbed them ecstatically.

He growled softly before she let him continue up the stairs.

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"Hoshiko! Come back!" shouted Sango. "Hoshiko!"

The little hanyou ran through the forest chasing the ghosts that flew above her. Her shoes were getting stuck in the mud and she groaned at the sight of her feet. They were covered in moist mud.

"Stay here, I'll go after Hoshiko!" said Miroku, then dashed into the forest. He could hear Hoshiko panting but couldn't see anything. The trees were covered in a thick dark blanket.

He screamed out her name more than twice yet never got an answer. After he couldn't run anymore, he stood in the darkness as rain poured down, looked around for a couple minutes then decided he couldn't keep going. He shouted out her name once last time then walked back to the village.

He arrived with his head hung low, "I couldn't find her" he told Sango, "It was just too dark." She looked into the forest and found only darkness.

"Humph, Miroku should know better than to chase a hanyou." Hoshiko said as she came to an energy force. At first she didn't dare to touch the electricity that flowed in it yet she was determined to get to the other side. She leaped through it and with her surprise nothing happened. She kept on running, sniffing the air for any faint smell of humans.

She came to a stop and gazed at the same black haired maiden that had visited the village. Her eyes showed wonder. Hoshiko took one step closer without making a single sound. It startled her when Kikyou said, "Why are you here?"

"How could you hear me?" she said. Kikyou let out a small chuckle, "That doesn't matter. Now tell me, why are you here, child?"

"Well.." she hadn't really thought it through, she had started to run right after she saw Kikyou. "I don't really know. I guess I just had to see you up close." Kikyou smirked.

Hoshiko couldn't take her eyes off the miko. "You're so…" she began, "beautiful." "You're not scared of me?" the priestess seemed confused, "No, why should I be?" replied the hanyou.

"I just thought children wouldn't take a liking to me after knowing I'm dead." Hoshiko gasped for a second. "I didn't know, but even if I did, I'd still come to see you."

"Who are you?" Kikyou asked.

"My name is Hoshiko." she said, "It means 'star', my mother thought it be a decent name for me since my eyes shine bright when I'm happy." she beamed and it was true, her eyes shone brighter with every blink. Kikyou smiled at her sweetly, "You must have a great mother."

"I wouldn't know, she died when I was three years old." her eyes lost their shine. Kikyou sulked, "You poor child, I'm really sorry." Then turned to walk away. "Wait!" Hoshiko ran towards her, "I was wondering if you knew who she was. My father, Inuyasha, never told me."

"_Inuyasha_!" Kikyou's expression turned into pure shock. She calmed down and said, "I'm sorry, I do not know who you're mother is." Hoshiko frowned, and watched the priestess walk away. She collapsed on the tall grass beneath her and sighed deeply.

The rainstorm had calmed down a bit yet rain was still sprinkling the earth. "Ugh, I'm lying in mud!" she cried out and started running back to the village.

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Inuyasha sat next to Kagome. She looked so peaceful lying on her bed. Blankets covered her completely to her neck and bandages were strapped on every wound.

He sighed profoundly.

Then Kagome eyes flinched. "Kagome?" he said, "Can you hear me?" Her eyes flinched again but she never said anything.

'_Inuyasha? Where are you? I can't see you!_' Kagome didn't realize how she had never opened her eyes and was now sleeping.

In her dream, she walked in the forest with her bike along side her. Tears were swelling up in her eyes. "Inuyasha, please help me! I'm lost and I'm scared" Suddenly, she saw a shadow moving from one tree to another. "Who is that?" she yelled.

"Kagome, my poor little miko."

Her teeth grinded at the voice. "You stupid bastard, where are you?" she knew Naraku must be close but the forest was too dark for her to see well. She panted in terror of thinking that Naraku could spring at her in any moment. And just as she thought that, a tentacle flew past the bushes and cut her face.

She screamed in fear and fell down.

Inuyasha saw how a scratch suddenly appeared on Kagome's cheek. "What the..?" He looked at her closely to find that her eyes were closing tightly.

Kagome was whirled into the air once more and collapsed onto the dirt. "You w-will never w-win" she stammered in lack of air. "Aw, but you can't see that I already won?" he finally came into view. The arrow was still in his chest.

She smirked, "I see you couldn't take my arrow off. You disappoint me, Naraku." This angered him, "Shut up, stubborn fool! For I shall finish you off. And I'll make sure you don't come back this time!"

He sent another tentacle flying towards her chest. She jumped out of the way. Her body shook with fear. "Inuyasha, you promised me you'd take care of me, where are you?" she whispered.

Inuyasha heard this and gasped. "I'm right here Kagome! Please wake up!" Worry grew in him as he saw her shaking.

Kagome heard his statement and smiled. "You poor stupid bitch, you're too weak to fight me in real life. You have become more pathetic than you usually were!"

"I wouldn't say that, Kagome. After I kill you, you're little Inuyasha will finally lose faith and control. Making him more vulnerable than ever!" he laughed at his evil plan as if it was pure genius.

She snarled at him and found that all her arrows were gone, except one. "It'll only take me one shot to finish him off." her theory seemed far from the truth. Yet she believed in it so then she shoot the arrow which embedded into the other one in his chest. It pierced him with such force that both arrows struck through him.

He squirmed in pain then disappeared. This made Kagome's eyes flutter open. Her vision was still blurry but she knew that Inuyasha was sitting right next to her. "Inuyasha…? I thought you were dead."

"Feh, me? Dead? Never!" he smiled down at her, "I'm glad you finally woke up. You were starting to scare me." "Don't worry so much Inuyasha" she laughed.


	9. Chapter 9

Authors Note:

Well, by the next chapter, the story will have to start getting kind of fluffy, you have been warned! I'll try to put some Inuyasha-Hoshiko moments, but just so you guys now, I don't really spend days working on one chapter. I tend to write these very fast so if you find mistakes then…sorry, my bad!

Reminder: **PLZ REVIEW **:)

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Hoshiko woke up on the roof of Kaede's hut. She didn't realize this until she stretched and nearly fell off. Her balance was better than a normal human though and so she was able to land lightly on her feet as she jumped off. Her thoughts suddenly wandered off to Kikyou. She would have been so pleased if the priestess would have been able to tell her something about her mother yet as always Hoshiko was saddened by the awful truth: no one could help her in her endless search for her mother. Not even Inuyasha. 

She stretched again and breathed deeply. She displayed her white fangs with every yawn. The smell of fresh fruit and flowers filled her nostrils. "What's for breakfast?" she asked when she entered the hut. "Hoshiko! Where were you? We were all so worried!" screamed Sango at the tiny hanyou. "Oh, I was taking a mere nap on the roof. You don't need to worry about me." A large smile crossed her face. "Now can I have breakfast?"

"Hm" Miroku handed her a small bowl of soup. " but you should never run of like that again! Especially in a rainstorm!" He glanced down at his shoes that were a permanent brown color. He groaned gently yet Hoshiko could hear him clearly.

"I'm sorry, really I am! I don't know what came over me." she bowed her head down slightly, "I'm sure a good wash will take that stain off your shoes, Miroku." she smiled and took a sip from her bowl.

"Well, as long as you are okay." Sango replied. Kirara jumped onto Hoshiko's shoulder and purred, which made her giggle.

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"Kagome is fine, she is drinking tea right now." Mrs. Higurashi told the hanyou in the morning. "That's good." he said. He had spent most of the night by her side, until Mrs. H suggested that he should take some rest and sleep in the couch. He didn't want to leave Kagome but he knew it was best, so reluctantly he went downstairs.

Mrs. Higurashi giggled a bit when she saw Inuyasha with a milk mustache. "Mm, this is good! What is it?" He beamed as he looked up at her. "It's called 'cereal', dear. I'm glad you like it"

After he devoured the rest of his cereal, he decided that he should visit Kagome before she fell back to sleep. "Inuyasha, make sure she eats all of her breakfast!" yelled Mrs. H as he descended up the stairs.

Kagome heard him and stood up in bed. She stared at her reflection on her mirror. Her cheeks were a pale pink, her eyes looked flushed and her hair was a complete mess. She almost yelled at the sight of it. She tried to calm down her hair before Inuyasha opened the door. "Oh, hello Inuyasha!" she smiled at him, trying to look as adorable as possible.

"How are you feeling?" He asked her, "Fine now, thank you." He smiled at her kindly before sitting next to her on the bed, "I'm glad." He lifted his hand to touch her cheek. His hand was so warm that it made her close her eyes and sigh.

"How did you get so many scars, Kagome? Your face is filled with them." She opened her eyes and looked into the mirror again. She hadn't noticed it before but it was true. Two scars were on her left cheek while three more were on her right one.

Her mouth opened slightly and a small gasp escaped. "I fell." she said simply. He glared at her, "How many times did you fall?" He knew she wasn't saying the truth but he wanted to see how far she would go to make him believe such a lie.

"I fell off a cliff, then I started to crawl towards the well but ..." her eyes were starting to fill with tears, she tried her best to hold them back but as she remembered that night, she saw Inuyasha lying on the floor completely motionless. "… I lost too much blood to keep going. I must have passed out."

'_I must admit, her story is quite convincing._' thought Inuyasha, he kept glaring at her until a tear finally fell from her eyes. "What is it?" he asked.

"Nothing, I'm also glad you are okay." He gave her a puzzled look, "Feh, of course I'm okay. You must have had a bad dream." '_She went through a lot_' he concluded.

"I'll leave you now, so you can rest some more." he turned his back and started to walk away. '_No! Don't leave me!_' she mentally kicked herself for letting him walk out. _'What if that was just a dream_?' she stared at the bruises in her arms, '_That seemed to real to be just a nightmare_.' Kagome fell asleep minutes after he closed the door.

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"Inuyasha hasn't come back, huh?" Hoshiko looked around the village for any signs of the silver-haired hanyou, "No, he hasn't" replied Shippo.

Shippo and Hoshiko sat on the porch of the hut, with bored expressions. Shippo kicked a rock in attempt to get rid of his boredom yet it failed terribly. Sango had forbidden Hoshiko to wander away from the village and the kitsune had promised her that he'd keep her company while they were out. "Sango and Miroku should get back anytime now." he said. "Hm" was her only reply.

"Isn't there something we can do?" she asked him, hoping his answer would be positive. "I guess we could play "Catch" like Kagome calls it." he smiled up at her and walked into the hut to retrieve his small ball made out of straw and grass. "The rules are simple. I throw it and you catch. Then you must throw it back." he yelled from within the cabin.

Just then, Miroku came stumbling through the bushes with a frustrated Sango behind him, "You are a hentai!" she yelled at the poor monk. "I don't really want to know what happened" replied Hoshiko. Shippo came out and tossed the ball at Hoshiko, "Come on! Let's play!" he smiled innocently.

She stared at the sphere shaped thing in her hands and beamed. They played for a while until it started to get dark, now Hoshiko was starting to get worried about Inuyasha. He hadn't come back for an entire day. She knew she promised Sango she would obey her orders and stay inside the village but her instinct told her something horrible had happened.

Without looking back Hoshiko started to run in the direction that Inuyasha had taken the night before. She sniffed the air in case she could catch a faint smell of her father. Instead, only the sour smell of sap from the trees came to her.

When she reached the old well in the forest, her legs automatically stopped. All the awful memories came back. She suddenly heard Naraku's laugh in her head. She shuddered a little before re-thinking all that she knew about Kagome. '_Inuyasha must have traveled through the well_' was her final deduction. '_Okay Hoshiko, you can do this. Don't let fear control you._' She closed her eyes tightly and jumped into the well.

'_All I do for my father_' she didn't dare open her eyes until she felt ground underneath her feet. '_He better thank me for caring so much_.' She leaped out of the well to find herself in a strange looking house. A cat walked up to her leg and nuzzled her softly. "What the.. What is this?" she looked around.

The new environment made her feel uncomfortable. '_Don't let fear control you, don't let fear control you' _she kept telling herself as she walked up the stairs.

"Oh!" Mrs. Higurashi screamed in the unfortunate hanyou's face, which made her scream in turn and fall down the stairs.


	10. Chapter 10

Authors Note:

Beware: The following chapter contains too many words! -laughs- I couldn't help it! Enjoy!

I wanted to say 'Thanks' to everyone who reads my story! I'm glad you guys like it! And remember to **review**!

* * *

"Ouch!" Hoshiko rubbed her little hanyou ears. Her legs were still on the stairs while the rest of her body had landed on the hard dirt. The shock had been so sudden all her thoughts were finally catching up to her. The first one that hit her was: _What the hell?_

"Oh my goodness! Are you okay?" Mrs. Higurashi said while walking down the stairs to inspect the small girl. "Let me help you" she extended her hand towards Hoshiko.

Her eyes widened at the sight of the creature standing in front of her. 'Don't.. let.. Fear.. Control you?' she said to herself in a low voice. "W-who are you?" Hoshiko refused to take her hand and crawled away. She decided that being cautious was better for now.

"I am Mrs. Higurashi, you must be a friend of my daughter's" She said, looking at her dog ears. She smiled so sweetly, it didn't seem like she could do any real harm. Hoshiko stood up and brushed the dirt off of her kimono. "Your daughter?"

"Yes, Kagome. You do know her, right?" Mrs. H gave her a confused look. "Oh, yes! I know her!" Finally Hoshiko felt safe. Mrs. H led her into the house where Inuyasha and Souta were playing video games. Inuyasha didn't know how to play so he kept cursing at the television. Besides, the claws made it hard to use the controller.

The little hanyou smiled at Inuyasha, trying to seem completely innocent. She didn't think that she'd find him so quickly and especially not unharmed. "What the hell are you doing here, Hoshiko? Weren't Sango and Miroku taking care of you?" he said at the sight of her. He figured that she'd be stubborn enough to follow him however seeing her there gave him a slight shock.

"Um, yes, they were." she replied with a fake smile. He raised an eyebrow at her, "Then?"

She broke into a nervous laugh, "Well, you see, I.." Hoshiko knew very well what Inuyasha would do to her if she told him she had disobeyed her orders from Sango. "Well? What happened?" he asked, his patience was merely a myth and now he was proving it to be true.

Her ears perked up and she held her breath as she let her story flow from her lips. Inuyasha didn't punish her like she thought he would. She was expecting a huge bump on her head the second she blurted it out but to her great amazement Inuyasha didn't even get up.

"Hm" he turned around to keep playing with Souta. "Are you hungry?" She blinked in confusion, "A little" she said. "Well, Mrs. Higurashi makes the best cereal. You should try it."

"I will…" she turned to Mrs. H, who was sitting on the couch, watching Souta beat Inuyasha and smiled up at her. "Come this way." she said, walking towards the kitchen. "…father" Hoshiko whispered in her smallest voice yet Inuyasha's ears twitched at the sound of that name. A tiny smile formed at the end of his lips then he shook it off and concentrated on moving the little figure in the "magical box".

Hoshiko took the bowl from Mrs. H and stared at the circles inside. They swirled around in a sea of white water. She took what Mrs. H called a "spoon" and started to place the mini circles in her mouth. "Wow, this really is good!" she beamed, then stuffed another spoonful in her mouth joyfully.

Suddenly, as soon as Hoshiko took a step into the living room, a man walked down the stairs.

He wore a white jacket that went below his waist, it had a small patch on one side that said, "Dr. Lee, Pediatrician" He mumbled something to himself as if he needed to take a mental note on it. Then he looked up at Inuyasha.

She froze next to the doorway until Inuyasha stood up to talk to him, "How is she?" she heard him ask, "She should be okay soon." the man said, "It's best she takes plenty of rest and never misses her medication. I'm sure with you around, she will be up and walking in no time." He smirked at the dog demon and patted him on the back. '_What did he mean by that_?' the hanyou scratched his head.

Inuyasha nodded and let Mrs. Higurashi pass to talk to Dr. Lee. "What's wrong?" Hoshiko asked him, Inuyasha took hold of her arm and walked outside without saying a single word. He sat down on the grass underneath an enormous tree. It could of reached 100 feet if she knew any better. She marveled over it for another second before he said, "Are you going to stand?"

"Oh, no." she plopped down next to him.

He sighed deeply and let the smell of the flowers rise up to his nose. "It's all my fault she's like that." he whispered, hiding his eyes between his silvery bangs. "Who?" she asked, "Kagome…she was badly injured because I wasn't there to help her. And now she is her bed, completely helpless."

'_My instinct was right' _she thought, _'poor Kagome is hurt'_

"I don't know her that well since I was injured when she was around but I can sense that she's a strong girl. If that um, man, says she'll be okay and Mrs. Higurashi trusts him, why haven't you?" Hoshiko replied.

He lifted his head to look at her, Hoshiko looked so serious it made him smile. She smiled back before spotting the smell of daisies. "Daisies!" she said. "Huh?" he watched her run across the hill towards the smell, "Come on" she yelled at him.

He lifted off the ground to follow the ecstatic hanyou.

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Meanwhile..

Sango had been screaming for about half an hour now. That's when she had first noticed that Hoshiko was gone.

"I told her to stay here, didn't I? Yes! I told her to not run away, to stay in the village and what does she do? She runs away! Inuyasha will get mad, Kagome will get worried and I'm getting worried! Why didn't she stay in the village?"

Sango kept walking back and forth in front of the hut. Shippo and Miroku had watched for the first 20 minutes when they found it amusing yet Sango's rambling hadn't faded so they decided to visit the river bank.

"Do you think Sango has calmed down yet?" Shippo asked Miroku. He took a bite out of his apple from his right hand then turned around to take another bite out of a pear from his left hand. The fruit slushed noisily in his mouth as he chewed.

"I don't think she has." Miroku replied as he took a chunk of nectarine from within the cloth bag they had taken with them. "What else is in here?" he peered into it. His entire head was almost swallowed by the bag when Shippo started to stammer. "M-Miroku, w-we sh-should be getting b-back."

Miroku looked at him curiously, "Why?" The kitsune's gaze was locked onto a black haired maiden that was traveling towards the village. _'Kikyou again_!'

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"Hoshiko! What is it?" Inuyasha called after her. "Just try and keep up!" she managed to wink back at him before sprinting down the hill. He gave her a playful look and started to run faster.

She tripped on Inuyasha's left foot and plummeted down onto the grass. She shrieked a bit. Inuyasha had tripped also and now both hanyous were rolling down the hill. When they finally hit the bottom, she began to laugh hysterically. Watching this, Inuyasha did the same.

"You have to admit.. That was fun!" she said swallowing some more air. He nodded then uprooted some grass to throw at her. She saw this and jumped out of the way. She shook her head. "Too slow"

He glared at her with a mischievous smile. As he stood up he felt grass slid down his head. He gasped to find grass all over his hair. "That's it, you'll pay for that!" He sprinted towards the girl with dirt in hand. After he hurled it at her, Hoshiko did an astonishing back-flip and escaped the dirt.

She ran back up the hill then stopped. Inuyasha grabbed her in a head-lock and rubbed her head roughly. He smirked evilly and heard Hoshiko scream, "Ah! Inuyasha! Stop it, you're messing my hair!"

Kagome's laughter made him stop. He looked up to see her in a wheel chair. She looked so happy now. Hoshiko ran past Inuyasha to the miko. She took hold of a daisy as she ran and brought it to her. Kagome smiled as she took the flower from Hoshiko.

"Here Kagome, I hope you get better soon." she beamed.

"I didn't think you could get up so soon." Inuyasha said when he reached the girls. "I couldn't, but I begged my mother to take me out." Hoshiko saw as a large smile appear on his face, '_maybe.._' Her instinct hadn't been wrong before so maybe it was right again, "Well…I'll go back in the house, I really want some more of that 'cereal'" She skipped towards the house leaving Inuyasha and Kagome absolutely alone.

"Heh, kids." his fake smile made her laugh again. "Feh, what are you laughing about?"

"Oh, nothing. Come sit with me." she panted the ground next to her. He laid down and breathed deeply. His hair glistened with the morning sun which made Kagome blush a light pink.

Inuyasha saw this and blushed also. "Could you take me off this wheel chair? It's starting to get uncomfortable." He lifted her off gently and placed her on the grass. His blush had grown a shade darker.

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"Kikyou…I don't know where he is!" Miroku was barely able to speak through the lack of air. Kikyou had grabbed hold of his neck and pulled him a couple inches above the ground.

She smirked and released her grip on him. "Maybe you are telling the truth, but wherever he is, I will find him!"

He gasped for air as he stood on all fours. Then he stared up at her with a hateful look. "What do you plan to do to him?" he yelled.

"It's nothing, really. I just wanted to chat with him." her smirk grew bigger which made him uneasy.

He stood up to face the priestess, his gaze showed fear for Inuyasha. '_What is she up to now? Inuyasha hasn't done anything, well, not that I know of._' He looked around for his little kitsune friend yet didn't see him. '_Coward!_'

Kikyou turned her back and started to walk away. Behind her, she left nothing but a scared Miroku. All their food and supplies had been thrown into the river by Kikyou. She didn't seem to be in the best mood.

Shippo had escaped by running into the bushes. He decided to run back to the village, "He's strong enough to take care of himself, but I'm not!" he sobbed. Sango was shocked by this yet if she ran out there, Kikyou might not take mercy on the unfortunate hentai. "Hm, I guess you are right. We'll wait for a while if he doesn't come then we will have to and get him." she said. Shippo grabbed hold of Kirara with a worried look. The two-tailed kitten growled softly.

Miroku came stumbling into the village, like some time before, except this time he didn't have a red mark on his face. He tripped on a rock, which made both Shippo and Sango feel pity for him. They walked out to greet him.

"What happened, Miroku? You alright?" she asked him.

"Oh, yes, I'm perfectly fine. Just I'm now worried for our dog demon friend. Kikyou has suddenly gotten an interest in him. She didn't tell me why." he replied. And somehow his hair was wet.

She tilted her head a bit, "Why are you wet?" He frowned, "Kikyou might be dead but she finds throwing monks into the river funny. I guess her sense of humor is still in tact." He lowered his head and walked into the hut.

His friends laughed in mockery to the unlucky guy, "That _is_ funny!" she smiled.

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Back in modern time…

"Now can you tell me what happened to you?" Inuyasha asked the miko next to him. She looked confused.

"I already did, I fell off a cliff."

"No, the truth."

She sighed and finally gave in. "Fine, I was attacked." she didn't dare to look at him. She figured he'd get enraged by this and she was right. Inuyasha's hands turned into fists as he yelled, "Who did this?"

"It was…Naraku" she whispered. He heard the hated name and clenched his teeth. He whispered the name with pure hatred and anger in his voice.

'_How dare he touch Kagome? Does he really think I will let him get away with this? Naraku better start saying his last words…_'

Kagome saw flames forming in his eyes. She touched him gently on his arm, "I'm fine, Inuyasha. You should stop worried about what happened but what's going to happen. I might not recover in another few days and you must go back. Sango, Miroku and Shippo will start to get worried about me. And Hoshiko too."

He nodded halfhearted, "But I want to stay here with you, to make sure you are alright." A smile grew on her face and she kissed the hanyou on the cheek, very softly.

His blush became a dark colored crimson. He stared at Kagome and blinked continuously. He didn't understand her spontaneous actions.

"Thanks for caring so much, Inuyasha!" she beamed. He nodded again, too shocked from what had happened to even move.

Hoshiko, of course, was standing on the side of the wall of the shrine and was listening to every detail in their conversation. She made sure that she covered herself in dirt so that her scent would fade enough for her to be in hearing range. Hoshiko was scared by a boy who tapped her on her shoulder, "Hello."

"Oh, hello." she looked back at the couple, "Why are you spying on my sister?"

His voice sounded familiar, in an odd way. If it was any deeper then he'd resemble her uncle's voice. She looked back, "I'm Hoshiko." she moved her bangs out of her eyes, "I'm a hanyou and that's my father." she pointed at Inuyasha. His jaw dropped, it was quite predictable. Yet she loved boasting about her father and the fact that demon blood ran in her veins.

True, hanyous were teased on by having both human and demon blood. But she found it as a blessing to be both. Her father taught her that being a "half-breed" meaned she'd have to become stronger, mentally and physically. This she took very seriously and took much pride into it.

"Hoshiko! Go back into the house!" screamed Inuyasha, the little hanyou scampered inside without hesitating. If there was one thing she was afraid of, it was Inuyasha.


	11. Chapter 11

Authors Note:

This chapter took me longer than I expected. My internet connection got messed up too, but I'm done now! Go me!

Please remember:

1) to **REVIEW**!

2) If you guys ever have any questions about the story then don't be shy and ask!

* * *

Hoshiko yawned. She felt her jaw extend to it's limit and she silently made a groan as she let her mouth close firmly. Yellow blossoms filled her hair and kimono, they had fallen from the Sacred Tree and were carried in the breeze. She blinked slowly.

This was the second time she had fallen asleep on the roof yet this time it was much higher. '_How on earth did I get up here?_' She shrugged it off and jumped.

She landed lightly, just how she had expected. She walked inside the shrine to find Inuyasha sleeping on the couch. A trail of drool hung down the side of his mouth and he groaned.

"More ramen please" he whispered. This made Hoshiko giggle.

Her nose caught the smell of food and she followed it into the kitchen where she found a basket full of fruit. "Yum" she said, before stuffing her tiny hands into the basket. She took out a nectarine and jammed it into her mouth. The fruit's juices made a loud slushy noise.

Her eyes widened a bit when she heard Inuyasha groan again. He tipped to one side making the blanket, that had kept him warm through the night, fall onto the floor. A smirk grew on her face then she dug her fangs into the fruit, letting juice run down the side of her soft, mocking mouth and off of her chin.

When she turned around, she saw Mrs. Higurashi standing on the doorway of the kitchen. She wore long, black pajamas with polka dots in multi-colors. She scratched her head and walked towards the refrigerator.

"I'll be making some waffles, honey, in case you want some." she smiled weakly.

Hoshiko nodded and walked out. _'What are waffles?_' she thought. Inuyasha was rolling on the couch, one more inch and he'd be on the floor. And sure enough, he rolled again. _Thump!_

"Ah! My head!" he screamed. Hoshiko shook her head and grabbed him by the arm to pull him up, "Why are you so clumsy, father? I mean… Inuyasha."

She gulped. '_I shouldn't of said that' _She backed away enough for him to stretch. His eyes were half-closed. He blinked at her, "I'm not clumsy!" he said in a drunk voice. "The couch is just too small!" He turned to the couch and gave it a low "humph!"

'_Geez, Am I the only one who doesn't wake up drowsy?_'

As soon as she ended her thought, Kagome came down the stairs, "Good Morning!" she shouted. "Wench! Stop shouting!" the ill-fated hanyou was holding his doggy ears in both hands. Mrs. Higurashi chuckled and gave his right ear a little tweak.

Souta, who was helping Kagome walk down the stairs, had flinched at her loud voice. Kagome frowned, "Well, if you hadn't drinked yesterday, you would be fine now!" she stuck her tongue out at Inuyasha.

"What are you talking about? I didn't drink anything!" he crossed his arms.

-Flashback-

Inuyasha and Kagome were sitting outside on the porch. They were waiting for that pizza that her mother had ordered. Mrs. H had insisted that Kagome stay in her bed more except she refused, saying "The doctor is exaggerating, mother! All I need is my wheel-chair to get from one place to the other, or Souta." She grinned happily at her statement.

"Is it here yet?" Inuyasha hadn't stopped asking since the minute they had sat down on the porch steps. "Inuyasha, stop being so impatient! It'll get here soon." Kagome said, rolling her eyes.

Hoshiko and Souta were playing "Catch" on the yard. After playing with Shippo, "Catch" had become Hoshiko's favorite thing to play. Yet since Souta was a human, he couldn't throw it nearly as hard as Hoshiko. This resulted in Souta having to take cover almost every time she hurled the ball at him. He panted, "Hosh-shiko, nice throw" that had been the 20th time he had to run after the ball. She just blushed and opened her arms, mentioning him to throw the ball.

When the pizza arrived at the end of the day, Inuyasha grabbed it and dashed inside. His stomach had been grumbling for hours now and the strong smell of pepperonis and cheese was almost killing him. "Food.." he kept murmuring with each bite, "Finally food!"

Kagome laughed, "Inuyasha, you know I always feed you!" His mouth was too full for him to answer. So he just nodded contentedly. "Could you clean yourself?" she handed him a napkin and mentioned he had sauce on his face. In fact, he had it all over his mouth and the tip of his nose.

Hoshiko and Souta were the last ones to come in, when they saw the anxious half-demon, they burst out laughing.

In the middle of their meal, Kagome's grandfather suddenly barged into the dining room, "Hey Inuyasha, come with me outside to get away from the ladies." He winked. Kagome nodded as in saying he should follow him. He gulped down the rest of his food and walked outside.

Kagome's grandfather was sitting on a boulder placed harmlessly on the bottom of the porch. It was no higher than 2 feet off the ground. Beside the old man, lay an incest burner, which was a mere dark silver plate with burning coal placed inside.

The night sky was darker than the piercing color of blood. The only lights left was a lantern hung on the edge of the Shrine's walls, the incest burner and the street lights. The bird's cheery voices had disappeared as soon as the sky turned a blue-purple shade and in place was only the songs of crickets.

The smoke burned Inuyasha's lungs and he cleared his throat. "Come sit" the old man said, "You thirsty?" He mentioned to a green colored bottle next to him. "Go ahead and take a sip." then he turned back to face the Sacred Tree.

Inuyasha picked up the bottle. It smelled foul, like socks merged with rotting milk. He flinched at the strong scent. _'What the fuck is this?_' Inuyasha smiled nervously at him, '_Does he expect me to drink this?_'

"Go ahead, boy. Don't be afraid." the old man said, raising an eyebrow, as he watched Inuyasha stare at the bottle. "Feh, I'm not afraid!" Inuyasha had no choice now, he brought the tip of the bottle to his lips. The liquid slid down onto his mouth and down his throat. At first it tasted as foul as it smelled. Yet after two more sips, it grew on him. The disgusting taste was gone and he felt a calming chill run down his body.

"Mm.. Not bad." he smiled, "There are more in here." Kagome's grandfather pointed to a wooden box underneath the porch. "Now sit, relax. Let the ladies clean up inside while we enjoy the cool breeze." He said.

-20 minutes later-

"You know how's my best friend?" Inuyasha took yet another drink from his bottle, "You are… I'm serious, you're my new best friend."

"Oh, Inuyasha, you're too kind!" both men laughed to themselves. Five or more bottles littered the ground, "Oh, my bottle is empty! Refill!" yelled the old man, he picked up a fresh bottle from his box and closed it shut.

"Well, it's been great, Inuyasha." he bowed, "I shall be retreating into my study now" a hic-up escaped briefly, "I hope to find you very soon." he took another sip and walked away. Just as he took his fourth step, the old man fell on the dirt. Inuyasha burst out laughing and he fell off the rock he was sitting on. As both men lay on the cold ground, they laughed uncontrollably.

-End Flashback-

Kagome glared at Inuyasha once again, Hoshiko smirked wildly at both of them. She clearly enjoyed the show. "Okay! I might have had one.." when he saw she wouldn't stop glaring, he finished, "..or three."

He mumbled a curse to himself and sat down next to Hoshiko. She was munching on a waffle that Mrs. H had prepared for the children.

Inuyasha grabbed his head in both hands and let out a painful grunt. "Here" Hoshiko handed him her hand, he looked at her weird but held her hand in his. She took out her small box from her sack. She never left anywhere without it.

Both their hands glowed a neon purple for a second and then she let go. "How do you feel now?" Hoshiko inspected his forehead, "Actually, I feel great! Thanks."

He knew she had just used the powers of the Shikon Jewel to heal him yet he tried not to think about it so much, after all, she was his daughter and he didn't want to have thoughts of stealing the jewel from her. '_It'd be quite stupid to steal from your own child' _he thought.

Kagome, however, since she _was_ the keeper of the jewel just had to question her about it. "Hoshiko, where did you get that?" making it simple and direct was best.

"From Inuyasha." she looked at him, innocently. He just gave out a low, "Nani?"

"He told me the jewel was used for many great and horrible things alike." she didn't enjoy the attention she was getting from everyone in the room so her voice grew meek, "He told me, he and my mother joined the jewel together years before my birth but after her dea-"

'_What am I doing? Should I really let him know that my mother, his wife, died when I was young? He'll eventually find out, right?_'

"her, umm, death, Inuyasha didn't have any use for it anymore. I would use it for healing wounds or sicknesses." She smiled feebly at everyone.

Inuyasha was the most shocked. '_Died?'_

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Later…

Inuyasha walked through the forest, alone. Hoshiko had decided to stay and keep company to Kagome after her mother and brother needed to leave on a family emergency. Somehow her grandfather had over-dosed on his drinking the other night.

Kagome sat on the porch and watched her mom's car vanish beyond the curve in the road. She sighed. "I hope your grandfather feels alright." Kagome looked up at the girl and smirked. She was glad Hoshiko stayed because now they could get to know each other better. She patted the ground, to mention to her to sit down. She did.

They sat there and stared at the butterflies that passed by. They discussed the different colors and designs on their wings until a young boy came walking up the Shrine's steps.

"Hello, Kagome! How are you?" the boy said in a cheery voice, "Hello, Hojo. I'm fine, thank you." Kagome's voice seemed to show discomfort. "I want you to met my friend, Hoshiko." The little girl stood up to face the boy. Since she was only twelve, her head reached well below Hojo's chest.

Hoshiko bowed slightly to show respect and Hojo did the same, "Nice meeting you, Hoshiko!" he smiled. Hoshiko tried to hide her ears from the stranger by pressing them tightly against her head.

"I was walking home from school and I thought that I should come by and see how you were doing." he replied.

"No need to worry, Hojo. I'm completely fine!" she tried to rise from the porch steps but her leg gave in and she nearly fell. Hojo grabbed her arm and led her inside. There he sat her down on the couch.

"Hm.. You don't seem 'completely fine'. I should stay with you until I see that you are okay." he smiled down at her, "There's no need for that! Hoshiko can help me." Kagome replied. "Nonsense! A little girl cannot take care of you properly." This Hoshiko took as an insult and growled softly.

Hojo walked up to Kagome's room to retrieve a small blanket and a pillow. When he came back down, he helped Kagome position herself on the couch and then walked into the kitchen. "I'll make you some nice, hot tea." Hojo smiled.

The hanyou sat beside Kagome on the floor and stared towards the kitchen. '_The nerve of that guy! To come here, uninvited and insult me as being just a little girl! Humph!_' She growled yet again and this time Kagome heard her. "What is it?" she asked. "Huh? Oh, nothing."

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"Inuyasha! You're finally here!" Shippo shouted towards the silver-haired dog demon. "Yes, Shippo, I'm back." he grunted at the kitsune.

"My friend, how was your trip?" Miroku smiled nervously, he didn't dare tell him that Hoshiko had escaped them. If he did, Inuyasha would surely beat him half to death.

"There's no need to be worried, Miroku, I know you're a horrible baby-sitter. Hoshiko is with Kagome, she decided to stay." now it was Inuyasha's turn to be worried, '_how can I break it to them gently?_'

"Kagome almost died."

'_yea, that's gentle enough.._' He saw they're jaws drop and shout random questions. All were too loud to distinguish properly. "Could you guys shut up? She's fine!" he snapped.

"Thank Gods!" Sango put a hand to her heart in relief. "So is Hoshiko, right?"

"Of course." Inuyasha rolled his eyes.

"There is something we must tell you." Miroku started, "Kikyou is searching for you. And it doesn't look good." Inuyasha pouted, the sound of her name sent a sharp pinch to his heart. He hadn't seen her for a long while. '_I wonder what she's been up to' _thought Inuyasha 

"If she wishes to speak to me, then she will come back." with that, he walked away. He climbed the tallest tree he could find and sat down on one of the highest branches. He balanced himself then started to think.

As soon as he placed a hand underneath his chin, he spotted two large, white snakes slithering between the trees. And with them was Kikyou.

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Meanwhile…

Kagome and Hoshiko had decided to watch a movie in the living room. Outside the noise of water droplets could be heard smashing against the ground and ceiling of the Shrine. Cold winds had lifted the leaves off the trees and left them scattered throughout the ground. Kagome looked outside once more. She sighed deeply, '_Oh, Inuyasha, please come back to me soon_.'

Hoshiko had helped the miko select a movie from the cabinet. "Yes, that one is a good one. Now open the box and place the cassette into that box right there." She pointed to the VCR. Hoshiko nodded and did as she was told. In her hands lay "Big Fish".

Hojo had left before the clock stroked 8, telling them that he'd be back tomorrow to keep taking care of Kagome. She had smiled with clenched teeth, '_Oh Gods, please let him forget_.' she had thought to herself.

Now that the movie had started, Hoshiko sat down next to Kagome. Her doggy ears twitched from one side to the other and it made Kagome's heart flutter. They reminded her of Inuyasha's.

Kagome asked, "Who was your mother?" She had wanted to ask her since Hoshiko mentioned her before in the day yet she didn't want to be rude. She didn't expect Hoshiko to answer but if she hadn't of asked then it would of haunted her throughout the night.

"I don't know" was her simple answer.

Kagome's jaw dropped, "Nani? You don't know who your own mother is?" Hoshiko shook her head, "Inuyasha never told me."

'_That stupid Inuyasha! I cannot believe he didn't tell her!_' She had to admit; she cared more that she wouldn't be able to know who her mother was instead of Hoshiko not knowing her mother. That made her feel bad.

"I'm so sorry Hoshiko." she put a hand on her back.

"It's okay. Since I'm here, I guess I'll be able to meet my mother. After all, I will be born in less than three years." She smiled and turned back to the television. That made Kagome feel much better, then she would be able to meet her also.

'_Who is she?_' a jealousy started to form within the miko but she ignored it and kept watching the movie.

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Inuyasha leaped from his perch and started to run the second he landed on the ground. As soon as he came to a clearing he stopped. Right in front of him, Kikyou lay on the grass. It looked as if she had fallen asleep. He walked towards her, silently. Then said, "Why have you been looking for me?"

The miko woke up and turned to face him. Her eyes were a pit of sorrow, just like they had always been since her death. "I wanted to talk to you about that little girl you keep around, Hoshiko." she said as she stood up.

"How do you know about her?" he snapped.

"She came to me and said you were her father." her gaze never changed or moved. Her eyes were focused on him. "She is" he said as low as he could. He didn't have much information to back this statement up, but the little hanyou said this was true. And she held the entire Shikon Jewel with her, which was more than enough proof for him.

"How could you, Inuyasha?" water started to form in her brown eyes. "I never knew I meant so little to you." He gasped, "You mean so much to me, Kikyou! Don't ever say that again."

"I don't believe that's true. If it were you wouldn't go into another woman's arms and let her bear your child." she looked away as if she didn't want him to see her face anymore, neither see his. Inuyasha frowned and outstretched a hand towards her face.

"Hoshiko" he said, "is a little girl I saved in the forest. We found her all alone and helpless. She told me her story, how she traveled through the well carrying only a sack and the Shikon Jewel." he stopped to stare in the miko's face. He could tell she didn't believe him yet he had to try. "I have seen it in her hands."

"What are you trying to tell me?" she said, "Hoshiko is from the future, like Kagome. So I don't know who the mother is yet." he blushed a dark pink.

He had never thought about that before. He had to get a mother for Hoshiko or then she would be erased from existence. And he couldn't let that happen, Inuyasha had grown to the fact Hoshiko was his daughter and even though he hadn't admitted it before; he cared about Hoshiko.

Kikyou winced at the name of the other miko, "So you must choose someone to bear your child before Hoshiko disappears." she said. "I-I guess." he gulped. Kikyou smiled. He knew he loved Kikyou but he also felt something for Kagome. That was something that he had always known, however, he could never make up his mind and choose a miko.

'_They basically are the same person' _he thought, '_But how come they are so different?_'

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Slush, slush

The sound of feet tapping against the cold mud appeared in the quiet valley, destroying the peace. The wind started to blow violently, thrashing the tall grass and trees in a disturbing manner.

A low pant slowly grew in the shadow's mouth. It approached a cave and stopped. It dropped to it's knees and murmured a curse. He had traveled through the minds of both Kagome and Inuyasha until he finally came across the old cave where he met Kikyou. His strength had weakened to the point where he could barely walk.

"That stupid miko will pay for this" The voice struggled then…

Clink

An arrow fell to the ground. It was covered in blood from the silver tip to the feathers that adorned it's end. The wind carried the scent of blood towards the forest where Naraku lay. "What the..?" he said, before bursting into a sprint towards the cave.

When he reached it, a gasp escaped him. In front of him, lay.. Himself. "How can this be? Who are you?"

The figure turned to face him. It chuckled before the wind freezed his throat, making him cough. "Can't you tell? I am a much older you." He stood up with the last strength he had.

The other Naraku examined his wounds, "Who did this to you?"

"That damn miko who always follows Inuyasha!" he roared, "Make her pay!"

He fell on his knees once more and smirked to his other self standing on the entrance of the cave. His eyes closed as he fell onto the ground. The other Naraku looked down at his defeated self and growled.


	12. Chapter 12

Authors Note:

Warning: Kind of fluffy! -smiles-

You have been warned. Now on with the story!

* * *

Inuyasha lay on the straw bed. It itched a bit but he ignored his urge to scratch and kept thinking. His eyes slowly moved around the room until they focused on his friends.

Miroku slept close to Sango, where his hand was mere inches away from touching her. His breathing grew louder and louder each time he inhaled. Kirara was the only thing separating the demon slayer and the monk. The two-tailed kitten slept silently except for a low purring that escaped her chest. All the while, Shippo was curled up next to Inuyasha.

Inuyasha could feel the kitsune's warm breath on the side of his chest. Shippo groaned and rolled over to show his belly. Then he started to snore.

'_We have all been through so much_' Inuyasha sighed.

He sat up and finally scratched at the bothersome itches. He took out some straw from his hair by passing his claws between every lock. Next, Inuyasha stood up and walked outside. He considered the air inside the cabin to be hot and humid.

The thoughts of his daughter hadn't escaped him since his talk with Kikyou. She seemed disturbed about Hoshiko's existence yet Inuyasha didn't care for it at this time. His main concern was who Hoshiko's mother was going to be.

His ears pressed close to his skull and a delicate pink color grew on his pale cheeks just at the thought of it. The cold air made him shudder as it passed between his hair so he walked back inside. He was still unsure about what was going to happen yet hoped things would fall into place. Inuyasha lay back down next to Shippo.

He slept peacefully for he dreamed of Kagome.

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"Wake up Kagome! It's a nice sunny day!" Hoshiko screamed. Kagome groaned and started to turn in bed, she was glad that Hoshiko had stayed but hated that she was being awaken at 5:30 in the morning. Hoshiko placed a white and pink kimono on the bed and walked out, satisfied.

She had finally slept inside and it felt so good to have warm blankets in the cold night. After being awaken with the first sight of light, she had walked into Kagome's room and searched her entire room for possible outfits that the miko could use.

Kagome walked down the stairs, slowly and steadily, with her crane tightly gripped. "Good morning. I appreciate the gesture," she said, mentioning the kimono, "But did you really have to leave all my clothes on the floor?"

Hoshiko blushed, "Oh, I'm sorry!"

Breakfast, according to Hoshiko, was Ramen with a side plate of fresh fruit. She helped Kagome sit down and beamed. "Mm" said Kagome, "This Ramen is really good." Her fake smile fooled the hanyou. Hoshiko then gobbled up her noodles cheerfully.

At around 3 pm, the young boy came walking up the Shrine's steps again. He wore a large smile on his face and carried a plastic bag. "Kagome!" he yelled, "I've got something here that will surely make you feel better!"

His smile was visible even from the bottom of the steps.

'_Oh great! It's Hojo!_'

"Hello, Hojo!" waved Kagome, "It's great to see you again" The boy walked towards her and opened the bag. Inside he took out two chocolate candies. He handed one to her. As she dug her teeth in it she realized they were marshmallows dipped in chocolate.

She smiled and led him inside, reluctantly. Hoshiko took one glance at him and growled. Hojo was shocked and said, "That sound… it reminds me of..." Kagome cut him off by saying, "So Hojo, what brings you here again?"

"I told you I'd come back to take care you, silly" he smirked and went into the kitchen, "I'll make you some lunch okay?" Kagome nodded, hoping after lunch, he'd leave.

'_Inuyasha, come back to me' _she thought, while Hoshiko stood on the doorway of the kitchen, glaring at Hojo.

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"You're going back?" Shippo asked Inuyasha as he walked outside, "Of course, you fuss ball! I have to see how Kagome is doing."

"Come back soon! We can't wait to see Kagome!" Sango said, "We'll stay here." Both Sango and Miroku smiled at him as he started to walk away. Miroku placed an arm around Sango's shoulder and squeezed softly. She gave him a look of pure embarrassment.

Inuyasha jumped into the well. Blue lights swirled around him. They shined brightly and he was suddenly reminded of Hoshiko's eyes as she smiled.

He opened the doors from within the tiny cabin in which the Higurashi family kept the magic well. He walked towards the front of the Shrine, beaming. He was glad he'd be able to see Kagome again. When he opened the door he saw her sitting on the couch, she looked disturbed.

"Kagome, what's the matter?" he asked. "Inuyasha! You're back!" she jumped from her seat and ran towards him. Her arms flung around his neck and she buried her head in his chest. He flinched just a little before letting his hands caress her hair, enjoying her sweet scent.

She let go and closed the door behind her. "How is Hoshiko?" he asked, "Oh, she's great! We've never been better." her smile displayed her white teeth. "Really? Then let me see her"

He tried walking past her yet she blocked him, "No!" she snapped, "I mean, it's so nice out here, why can't we enjoy the weather?"

"Is there something you're trying to hide, Kagome?"

"Phhft! No."

"Kagome! Lunch is ready!" a voice arose from within the house. The voice was too deep for it to be Hoshiko's. Inuyasha pushed Kagome aside and marched into the house where he found Hojo placing dinner plates on the dining table.

"Hobo" he whispered. The very sound of his name burned in Inuyasha's ears. He leaped into the dining room to face Hojo. "H-Hello, Inuyasha" replied the boy.

"What are you doing here?" Inuyasha bellowed, not that he really cared. All he wanted right now was to punch Hojo unconscious but he knew Kagome wouldn't approve his actions so he clutched his fists tightly, hiding them in his long sleeves.

"I came here to take care of Kagome." By this time, she was standing next to the two of them, hoping that Hojo would start running for his life. Yet Hojo stood still even when Inuyasha glared his fangs. "Well, I'm here now, so go home!" Inuyasha's anger rose as he kept watching the boy.

"No thanks, I want to make sure Kagome is well taken care of!"

'_Hojo just leave_!' Kagome thought. Seeing that the stubborn boy wouldn't flinch, she screamed, "Hojo! Go home! I'll be okay." He was startled by her outburst but did as she said.

"I'll be back tomorrow, Kagome." he told her, "I don't think so!" shouted Inuyasha. His fists now became uncovered and growled. He walked towards him as if getting ready to attack when Hoshiko took hold of him.

Even at a young age, Hoshiko was strong enough to hold back Inuyasha. He pushed in vain and finally let his muscles rest. Kagome dragged Hojo outside before saying good-bye.

"Inuyasha?" Hoshiko stood in front of him with a worried look, he looked down at her. He wanted to see her smiling face with those eyes shining brightly although seeing her upset gave him a sinking feeling in his stomach. "I'm okay now, what's for lunch?"

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Back in the Feudal Era…

Shippo screamed madly. His little legs couldn't run any faster yet the demon kept running. "Shippo! Take cover!" yelled Sango as she let her boomerang go. It cut off one of the demon's six legs then swung back for another blow. The youkai screamed.

Finally Shippo transformed into a small statue to let the demon pass him. It stopped and whirled around to throw toxic slime at them.

Sango blocked it with her Hiraikotsu and flung the weapon again. She rested on top of Kirara who was racing across the sky, avoiding any slime that was hurled at them.

The monk was too busy trying to rip the monsters legs when Shippo screamed again. A giant piece of torn up flesh had hit the tiny kitsune which sent him flying towards a tree. "Ouch" he murmured.

After a couple minutes of fighting, Miroku finally figured that the best way to get rid of it was to use his wind tunnel. "Sango! Get out of the way!" he yelled.

"Wind Tunnel!"

The gusts of wind uprooted trees and saplings while picking up boulders of all sizes. The demon screamed in agony of his ill-fate. Then was sucked into Miroku's hand.

Kirara landed, letting Sango get off. She panted and placed her Hiraikotsu on her back. "Good job, Miroku." she smiled.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"Of course!"

"Good, I wouldn't want anything to happen to you." this statement made Sango blush yet she tried to hide it as she picked up Kirara.

"Don't worry about me!" shouted Shippo. He walked towards them in a dizzy manner. "I'm perfectly fine!" Suddenly, he fell to the floor.

When they arrived back at the hut, Miroku placed Shippo on the bed and let him rest. Sango had changed back in the forest and was now wearing her long kimono. She smiled at the monk and then at Shippo. "He was pretty shaken up, huh?" she said. "Oh, hm" Miroku nodded.

"Will you join me in an afternoon walk?" Miroku asked, he held out his hand to her and smirked. "Sure" she shrugged but didn't bother in letting the monk have her hand. She walked past him and into the forest.

They walked slowly, enjoying the song of birds, the melody of the river and the warm breeze. Sango looked around her but never laid an eye on Miroku which made him feel ignored. "So Sango, may I ask what goes through your mind?" he finally questioned the lack of attention.

"I was thinking about Kagome and Hoshiko. I wonder how they are. And I miss them" she replied. She was more concerned about Kagome though. In their last conversation, she had noticed sheer anger in her friend when she mentioned Hoshiko's parents. And she knew that Kagome felt something deep for Inuyasha so it was clear that Kagome had developed a jealousy in her that made Sango worried.

Miroku stared at her with caring eyes and touched her hand. "I understand" he said. Still it was the way he said it that shocked Sango. It echoed in her mind. How deep and strong yet sweet, his voice had sounded. '_Heh, stupid' _she thought, '_He cannot make me forget how he can be such a hentai! But he really did sound.. Well.. Sweet' _she shock the thought out of her brain and focused her eyes on the ground.

They stopped on a hill to rest and stared at the sunset. If they knew better, they'd see it was merely 5 o' clock. Yet time wasn't an issue in such an era so they sat peacefully, ignoring all around them, only focusing their eyes on the bright rays of the sun.

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Kagome rested on the couch since her bed had been taken up by the little hanyou. She was so tired that Kagome let her sleep in her bed. It was just a bed, nothing bad would happen if she slept on the couch for one night. Or at least that's what she had said to both Inuyasha and Hoshiko.

If her mother was there, she'd never approve but they were still in the hospital. Her grandfather needed to stay for another week because of his old age and her mother had decided to stay. Her concern over her father was too great for her to leave. Souta had stayed also since it was a great excuse for being absent at school. They called once or twice a day to make sure how Kagome was doing yet never bothered to visit.

She stretched her legs for the fourth time. She never thought the couch would be so small since Inuyasha always slept in it. He had to sleep on the floor since Kagome refused to let him sleep in any of her family's rooms. She didn't want anything to be broken, smashed, torn or even splattered with anything! If her mother knew that she was letting hanyou's sleep in their beds, she wouldn't see daylight unless it came from the television.

"Inuyasha" she said.

"Eh, what is it wench?"

"How could you sleep in this thing! My legs are starting to cramp up!" she let her legs swing off the couch. She heard a little yelp and looked down. Her foot had landed on top of Inuyasha's head.

He glared at her, then pulled her leg. She shrieked as she fell off the couch and onto the floor. Kagome was now rubbing her injuries as she lay flat on the floor. Inuyasha smirked.

"You didn't have to do that for!" she yelled.

"Of course I did! You hit me first!"

They argued for a couple minutes before it grew darker. A dim light came from a lantern outside on the porch. "Inuyasha, I didn't mean to hit you, but you meant to hit me! So you better apologize!" she said.

Silence.

He was never good at making apologies yet without another breath he simply stated, "Your right, I'm sorry"

She beamed, happy of her accomplishment and victory. But that didn't make her forget how nice he had just been. Inuyasha was usually an impolite brute so any act of kindness made her feel shocked.

They both still lay on the floor. Kagome was flat on her back while her legs disappeared beneath Inuyasha's kimono. He almost lay on top of her if he hadn't moved to let her fall. He stared down at her. He could see how her smile grew and then faded.

His right ear twitched and Kagome giggled. She reached up to rub it. Kagome could tell that Inuyasha was glad she did. He purred softly in delight.

"Kagome…" he whispered to her.

"Yes?" she let go of his ear. His breath was low and warm, and it tickled underneath her chin.

"I would like it if you.." he started.

"If I what?"

He leaned in a little, just enough for his hair locks to fall onto her chest. "Boiled up some water for me" he finished.

"WHAT?" she felt so horrible to think that maybe that had been a nice moment, that for a slight chance he would lean in completely. Now she felt like smacking him on the side of his head!

"Ugh!" she got up and started to murmur curses to herself. Kagome walked up the stairs, disappearing into the bathroom. "What did I do?" Inuyasha seemed so confused.

Hoshiko had heard everything. Even though she felt bad for spying on him, she couldn't help it! She heard how he had blown his chance. That made her feel embarrassed. '_How was he able to have me with those skills?_' she laughed to herself before falling back to sleep.


	13. Chapter 13

Authors Note:

Sorry for taking so long. I've been so busy these past days that I haven't had time to write my story. Eek! But it's done now so please don't throw anything at me!

-ducks for cover-

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Outside the sun's rays warmed up the Shrine. It's bright light shone through closed curtains to display a march of shadows across the walls. Gentle wind flew into the Shrine with a hissing sound that could be heard all through out the street. The land slept eerily for only the wind made it's sinful song.

"Good Morning!" Hoshiko jumped down the stairs with a large smile on her face. Inuyasha and Kagome sat on the dining table. They stared at their plates as if they were utterly bored. "I said good morning!" she yelled again.

"Eh.." was all she got out of Inuyasha while Kagome replied, "Konnichiwa"

After last night, they didn't have more energy or desire to argue some more. They figured that they could let this one pass for now. Inuyasha took his empty plate and placed it in the kitchen.

"Come on, we better leave." He took hold of Hoshiko's arm and started walking outside. "Inuyasha! Wait!" called out Kagome as she stumbled on the chair's leg. "I better call my mother and tell her I'm going back."

He stopped the instant she replied then turned around to stare at her. "Uh, Kagome?" he said.

"Nani?" she blinked continuously as he kept his gaze upon her. "Are you sure you can go back?"

Her shoulders slumped then she rolled her eyes, "Of course I can, Inuyasha. I just need to tell my mother, hold on" She took the phone and walked into the kitchen. Inuyasha felt uneasy that Kagome was willing to leave for the Feudal Era. Hoshiko could feel how his hand trembled lightly on hers.

When they arrived at Kaede's hut they saw Sango sitting on the porch while Shippo and Kirara were playing nearby. "Kagome!" she screamed in happiness and sprung to her feet. Shippo stared for a moment at Sango's sudden reaction yet did the same when he saw the miko.

Shippo jumped on Kagome's shoulder and hugged her head tightly screaming, "Kagome! Kagome, you're back! I'm so happy to see you again!" Inuyasha watched this with an annoyed look on his face.

Hoshiko patted Shippo lightly on the head before staring off in Inuyasha's direction. He walked slowly with his arms crossed then disappeared inside the hut. Miroku soon came out with a rice ball in hand and a large smile painted across his face.

"Ohayou-gozaimasu lady Kagome!" he said and gave her a small hug. She smiled at her friends and walked with them into the hut where Inuyasha was sitting down with his legs crossed. He seemed to be meditating since his eyes were closed and he took long, deep breaths.

He felt Hoshiko's tiny hand on his shoulders and he squinted a bit. He didn't mean to. "Eh.." he looked up at her, "Hello" She wondered what could be wrong with him. He seemed so distant all of a sudden and it frightened her.

He closed his eyes once again to regain his thoughts while his friends chatted away about Kagome's injuries and past days.

As Hojo's name came into the conversation, Inuyasha's ears twitched and a low growl escaped him but it dulled away in a matter of seconds. His worries flowed into his mind after the growling subsided. Naraku, Hoshiko, Kagome and even Kikyou had left him troubled. It seemed his powers as a half-demon were useless now. He felt like the full moon rested above his head. Vulnerability entered his body.

He breathed slowly to enjoy the fresh aroma of flowers that was carried by the wind, the pollen tickling his nose. But he never moved or breathed again, he just sat quietly, peacefully. Yet such harmony never rests long enough.

Outside a scream could be heard. It sounded high-pitched and female-like. When the sound reached Inuyasha's ears he immediately jumped up and ran outside to face Shippo and Kirara, both unconscious on the floor. "Where's Hoshiko?"

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Naraku held Hoshiko over his shoulders as he bounded off through the forest, leaping over boulders to escape arrows. Kagome aimed again yet Inuyasha jumped high and quick which made her miss once more. She grabbed Inuyasha's neck tightly before she fell off his back. "Inuyasha! I'll never get him like this!" he grunted at her complaint and kept running.

'_That filthy bastard isn't going to get away with this_!' Inuyasha gritted his teeth in anger.

The couple halted, where they saw Naraku standing with Hoshiko placed harmlessly on the floor. Her hair glistened with the bit of light escaping the canopy of trees. She lay still.

"Naraku! Give her back before I rip you apart!" yelled Inuyasha. The half-demon growled in fury as he clenched the Tetsuseiga, pointing it at Naraku. His hand trembled when he gripped harder on the handle.

Naraku stood without a sound. It angered Inuyasha how he wouldn't respond him. At last, he couldn't take the silence any longer and charged towards him.

The Tetsuseiga struck the ground hard as Naraku evaded his attack. He tugged at the sword unsuccessfully, it had dug into the ground too deep. He tugged again but only to get hit on the side by Naraku's tentacles. Inuyasha flew against a tree, leaving the Tetsuseiga on the ground.

"Tisk, tisk" Naraku shook his head, "Inuyasha, you poor fool, try again" A smile emerged beneath the dead monkey's fangs as it rested on Naraku's shoulders. He stood just a mere inches away from Hoshiko.

Inuyasha charged again, "Iron Reaver!"

A few tentacles smashed onto the floor but that wasn't enough to stop Naraku from sending more tentacles his way. He dodged each one with great speed. Inuyasha smirked at his opponent then jumped once more to the top of the tentacles. "Iron Reaver Soul Stealer!"

Inuyasha landed lightly on his feet then looked at Naraku. Three great slashes were embedded onto his chest and his eyes gleamed with a ghostly blue glow. However, they disappeared in seconds. "Huh?" Inuyasha was dumbfounded.

"Inuyasha! Naraku contains a jewel shard on his forehead!" screamed Kagome.

"You could of told me that earlier!" he yelled back, '_the Tensuseiga_!' He had left it on the ground and still he had forgotten to retrieve it. Inuyasha started to sprint towards his sword yet was cut off by one of Naraku's tentacles. The hanyou screamed as he flew backwards.

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Sango had placed both Shippo and Kirara on the beds with cool cloths on their heads. Lady Kaede was making some tea in the far side of the hut. The smoke rose from the burning coal through the wooden boards of the ceiling.

"Hurry up Sango! Inuyasha is already in battle!" said Miroku. He peered in through the door for only a moment then retreated into the forest. "Coming!" she answered back. "Go ahead, Sango. They will be okay" Kaede emitted a wrinkled smile. She nodded before running out of the hut with her Hiraikotsu.

They arrived to see Inuyasha slam onto a mound of dirt with such force that he created a dust cloud around his body as well as a dent in the ground. He groaned at his sore muscles then stood up again. "Inuyasha be more careful!" shouted Kagome. She stood far from Naraku's reach yet close enough to hear Inuyasha groan.

All the while, Hoshiko was on the ground. Her body seemed to be entranced in a deep sleep. Her eyelids shown motion as if she was dreaming even though they were partially covered by her shadowy bangs. The lips that once kissed Inuyasha had now lost their rosy color and became chapped, showing various cuts along the sides. The hanyou's skin had grown quite pale in the few moments spent fighting. Inuyasha noticed this as he glanced at her. His heart felt as if it were tightened by the horrid sight.

For the third time, Inuyasha leaped towards his sword. This time he was able to reach it as Sango took care of the tentacles hurled at his direction. He tugged at the handle and it finally gave way. He sneered as he turned to face the disgusting demon.

"Wind Scar!"

A long, vivid light rushed towards Naraku and tore at his flesh violently. With a mere shriek, he was gone. In his place lay a marionette. Satisfied, Inuyasha positioned his Tentsuseiga back in it's place and walked towards Hoshiko. Her appearance had gone back to normal. With a pinch to the arm, Hoshiko woke. "Ouch! Why did you do that for?" she shouted at Inuyasha.

"Just making sure you're alright." he grinned in a mocking way. He let out his hand for her to take. She paused for a second to stare at it. The clawed fingers were faintly stained in blood and were murky with dirt. "I'll get up by myself, thank you"

He stood aside to let her get up and then lead her back to the hut where Shippo and Kirara were drinking tea. They showed bruises on their arms and faces. "Oh! Hoshiko! Thank Gods you're alright!" Shippo exclaimed.

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They rested for the night knowing that tomorrow they would start traveling again. They figured it be best to cover some ground, find more Shikon shards and get some exercise. Most of them had started to complain about their boring moments stuck inside the hut yet none let Kaede know. Her hospitality was greatly appreciated.

Naraku's attack made everyone think: why did he want Hoshiko?

No one knew the answer except for Hoshiko herself. However, they didn't dare ask her. After what she had to go through that day, they decided to keep it off for another time. Inuyasha was deeply worried about her. He had saved her this time but what if he wouldn't be able to one day? What if he ever had the curse to choose between Hoshiko and Kagome? Or Kikyou?

'_Foolishness_!' he thought, '_That probably won't happen'_

However, it had. If Kagome hadn't gotten into a jealous fit then nothing bad would of happened to her. Instead of showing Kagome the truth, Inuyasha let her go, taking Hoshiko's side. The moment in which he'd find this out was looking quite dim.

'_Rest, that's it. Everything will be fine in the morning_' Inuyasha slumbered with these thoughts. Peace was sure to come in the morning for him and nothing seemed to make him think otherwise.

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Morning came and so did peace. The bird's songs showed it clearly. The sky loomed in a shadow of baby blue with not a single cloud in sight. Bright rays of sunshine woke up the half-demon.

He looked around at his friends sleeping. '_It was sure a nice day for travel_', he thought. His worries left while he bathed in the river. Despite the bitter cold from the water, everything showed to be peaceful and calm. He dressed and combed his hair, passing each clawed finger between strands of hair. He let the sun dry up his skin and hair then walked back to the village.

"Inuyasha, we're eating breakfast, come join us." smiled the miko. She handed him a plate filled with many kinds of foods, some of which he did not know of. '_Seems like one of Kagome's picnics_' he stuffed the strange food in his mouth with no hesitation.

"Do you like it?" she asked eagerly. He never answered. She frowned and asked the others the same question. They replied happily saying the meal was great. Hoshiko was especially intrigued by the many kinds of foods. Growing up next to Inuyasha meant having Ramen all the time. Sure, they ate other things yet it was rare to see any meal without the noodles placed somewhere on the table.

She never complained for she too was obsessed with the slimy noodles but it was nice to see how Kagome had prepared this breakfast for them. She frowned, '_why won't he answer Kagome?_'

"Kagome, he thinks it's delicious and greatly appreciates you making this meal for us!" she said before stuffing another morsel into her mouth. Inuyasha stared at her with a blank expression. Chewing and gulping his food, he said, "Yea, what she said!" Still Kagome would of loved hearing him say it.

They packed some supplies into Kagome's backpack and started leaving the village. They stretched and breathed deeply. Joy spread over every face. "So, where are we going?" asked Hoshiko exited for new adventures. "Anywhere" replied Inuyasha, "Wherever we can find more shards." She frowned. She didn't understand: why search for something you already have?

"But why?" she asked.

"Why? So demons cannot get their filthy hands on them! That's why!" he said.

"Oh" she looked down with a saddened expression showing her confusion, "But I supposed that since I have it then you wouldn't need to look for it."

"Silly girl, of course we do! The shards are still out there and it's better that we keep moving."

They walked two miles before stopping to rest. They laid out their supplies such as their pots and pans to cook dinner. "Me and Miroku will go out hunting, you girls stay here!" The girls groaned bitterly at Inuyasha's remark. They always stayed behind even though Kagome was an excellent archer and Sango a master of her boomerang. Hoshiko easily got offended. "How come you boys get to hunt while we stay at camp? Don't you think we're good enough to hunt too?"

"Uh" Inuyasha felt surrounded by roaring demons as he looked upon the girls. "No, of course not! Just stay here okay?" Hoshiko reluctantly sat down next to Sango and watched the boys disappear beyond the trees of the forest.

They chatted of pure nonsense until Inuyasha and Miroku returned with rabbits in hand. They skinned and cooked the rabbits before putting out the fire and falling into deep sleep. '_The first day of travel went pretty well_', thought Inuyasha. He knew everyone else thought the same.

Out of the darkness that enveloped the forest, a slight purple glow emerged. It came from the sleeping hanyou girl that rested her head on Inuyasha's shoulder. Hoshiko immediately got up to press her hands over her aching head. A low high-pitched sound made her ears hurt. "What is th-that?" she managed to say.

Hoshiko's shoulders relaxed, the sound was gone and her head ached no more. When she tried to lay down again, she saw that her body was immobilized. '_What's happening? Why can't I move?_'

Inuyasha woke up for he felt a certain warmth gone from his shoulders. He looked up to face Hoshiko. She stood over him but didn't utter a word. "Go back to sleep Hoshiko" he said. Nothing. There was only silence.

"Hoshiko, I said go back to sleep!" he raised an eyebrow at her, he was confused at how she didn't react. "Hoshiko!" He stood up to shake her softly. Still nothing. "This isn't funny, go back to sleep now! You can explore the forest in the morning."

She thrusted her hand into his chest, clawed his stomach. He gasped for air and stared into her eyes. They glowed blood red.


	14. Chapter 14

Authors Note:

My internet connection had been taken away so it took me longer to post up my new chapter. I hope you guys can forgive and forget -smiles nervously-

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**Last Chapter…**

"Hoshiko, I said go back to sleep!" he raised an eyebrow at her, he was confused at how she didn't react. "Hoshiko!" He stood up to shake her softly. Still nothing. "This isn't funny, go back to sleep now! You can explore the forest in the morning."

She thrusted her hand into his chest, clawed his stomach. He gasped for air and stared into her eyes. They glowed blood red.

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Inuyasha stumbled backwards and gripped his stomach tightly as the warm blood leaked from his open wound. As his fingers touched the ripped flesh, it stung badly. With small and quick breaths he managed to stand upright. He wanted to stare at her eyes once more.

Her fangs now glared at him with such anger that it frightened him. Her eyes glowed a red so deep, they glistened with the smallest bit of light from the moon.

A small rustle came from the sleeping two-tailed kitten as she awoke. Hoshiko growled at Kirara coldly. The kitten transformed and growled back. As the two glared in fury, the other members of the camp began to wake up. "Inuyasha?" Kagome said with a yawn.

"Stay back everyone! Something is wrong with Hoshiko!" screamed Inuyasha, waving a nervous hand at them.

He stepped closer to Hoshiko, as far as he dared, then whispered "Hoshiko, snap out of it! This isn't you." She responded with a menacing growl. "What are you talking about Inuyasha? She's not dangerous at all." replied Miroku then walked up to her and rested his arm over her shoulders. "See?"

Hoshiko gripped him tight enough to sink her claws into his arm. She then flipped Miroku backwards. He shrieked in astonishment then crawled away from Hoshiko before her blood stained claws pierced his chest. She dug out her fingers from the dirt and raced towards the monk.

Miroku's eyes widened as Hoshiko's blade-like fingernail swiped inches away from his nose. "Miroku! Watch out!" yelled Sango.

Inuyasha quickly ran to Hoshiko before she could disfigure the scared monk. Sango helped him up. They walked away as Inuyasha wrapped both arms around the tiny hanyou. They struggled for a while until Hoshiko stepped on Inuyasha's bare foot with great intensity. He soften his grip as he moaned from the pain. Seeing this, Kagome screamed out Inuyasha's name. Then shouted, "Hoshiko! What's the matter w-" Kagome gasped in horror, how could she not see it before? Wedged deep in Hoshiko's spine was a Shikon shard. "Inuyasha! Hoshiko has a shard in her back!"

It was clear now. Naraku had placed a Shikon shard into Hoshiko's back as he fled in the forest. Horror spread over every face. Her fate had become the same as Kohaku's. Sango remembered the night when Kohaku killed the other demon slayers and it pained her so much that it brought a tear to her eyes.

"Damn that Naraku! I won't let him do this to my daughter!" Inuyasha bellowed. His teeth clenched. Hoshiko stood in front of him, eyes focused on only one target…the destruction of Kagome. Hoshiko eyes fell upon the miko then lunged an attack against her.

Kagome screamed as Hoshiko's small claws sinked into her right shoulder. When they departed, Kagome's arm fell useless to her side. Inuyasha shouted her name hopelessly. She couldn't escape the many blows thrown at her. One scratched her face and then her left arm as she tried blocking the hanyou. Finally defeated, Kagome fell to her knees, gasping for her last breaths.

"_Finish her_…" Abruptly, a meek voice rang deep in Hoshiko's mind. As she raised her hand once more, Inuyasha screamed out the miko's name. He hoped that his efforts wouldn't fail as he ran towards Kagome's side. But he did. Hoshiko's hand fell hard and quick…

"Kagome!"

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Water rushed rapidly in the stream as it illustrated the distorted reflection of the moon. Flowing in it were pieces of broken twigs and ruptured leaves. In an instant, the water parted and splashed to the sides. A small foot had fallen into the stream with great speed that a blinking eye could never see.

The tiny sound of footsteps echoed in the forest. As they reached a cliff they halted suddenly. The figure stayed still for a minute. When the gusts of wind finally reached the figure's body, it's black hair swirled viciously across it's face, displaying two amber eyes. A sharp growl escaped it's mouth as a low purple glow emerged from it's back.

When the pain disappeared, it lunged itself over the cliff. It leaped from one boulder to the next rapidly until it landed delicately onto the ground. Then began walking slowly towards a dingy town that rested just below the cliff.

A harsh growl grew louder and louder in her mind with every step, '_How dare you disobey me? You will finish what you started whether you want to or not! The miko must die!_'

She fell to the floor in agony. With every word he spoke, her head ache increased. Her small hands gripped her bright red kimono until the pain subsided again. Even though she could control her body now, she knew that Naraku would manipulate her for his evil purposes once more. Cold droplets fell from her chin. She hoped that when she faced Kagome another time, she would be able to forgive her.

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Inuyasha lay on the floor, dumbfounded. He stared at Kagome. She rested beyond the camp where Sango was placing a bandage over a cut on her cheek. Kagome smiled sweetly to Sango and thanked her.

Miroku came to sit next to Inuyasha. He patted the dog demon on the back, never leaving his sight from Sango and Kagome. Shippo was now with them. He had scurried into a decayed log to escape the battle outside and had now emerged to greet them.

"How" whispered the monk, "are you feeling, Inuyasha?" Without moving a single muscle, Miroku looked down at him. He knew that the answer was not easy so he didn't press it when Inuyasha never responded. "I understand your pain." he said after a few minutes.

"Oh, do you?" He said, sarcastically. Inuyasha hid his eyes below his silvery bangs to escape his view of his friends. "Feh, you don't know anything"

"So be it, my friend." He sighed, "But if you decide to answer my question, I'll be here to listen." With that, Miroku stood up and walked towards the girls.

Inuyasha bit his lip, trying to retain his urge to cry. It had only been a few weeks since he had first met Hoshiko however, he felt something deep for the girl that he hadn't felt for many years. A sense of connection to someone pure and loving.

The young hanyou had never shown any sense of betrayal or distrust, she believed in him. She looked up to him in a way that surprised him, he knew she wanted to surpass him one day as he did with his father. She showed him what care and devotion had once done for him. It had loved him and taken care of him all his life, until it was ripped apart. It now lay deep in a grave for which he longed to forget and in that girl. Now that was being ripped apart as well.

She was one thing that he had desperately wanted… A daughter. With his parents gone, she was the only family left for him. In his brother, Sesshomaru, he had only found an unbeatable foe. So for Inuyasha, he saw family in her caring words and love with each embrace. He would never let go of something as valuable to him as this!

His thoughts were broken away as Kagome came to sit next to him, "Inuyasha…" she began. Her eyes rested on the blood stained floor.

"Let me guess… you want to know how I am?" he looked away to make sure she wouldn't see the slight twinkle coming from a droplet in his eyes, "Feh! I'll be fine!"

She leaned in towards him, "I don't believe you. Let me at least check your wound." When she reached out to touch his stomach, a growl escaped him as a warning to stay away. She recoiled her fingers for a while before trying again. He flinched as her warm fingers caressed his shoulder.

"Leave me alone!" he shouted desperately as she tried to turn him towards her. Her fingers left his shoulder and she frowned. She stood up then said, "I'm just trying to help!" before storming off with Shippo, Kirara, Sango and Miroku.

Inuyasha flipped his head farther away from her view. A small 'humph' emerged from his chest. '_I don't need your help! No one can help me anyways. All I can do now is try to save her.. What good will that do me if she's in his control though?_'

He looked up slightly towards the trees. He could still see her, standing over Kagome and snarling. It had frightened him. He thought Kagome was a goner! But before her hand touched her, Hoshiko placed her other hand in front, blocking her own attack. Her whole body got thrusted backwards as she struggled to regain control over it. After a while, Hoshiko's eyes went back to normal.

He could see her, struggling. And still heard her soft voice cry out to him, "Father…"

He growled deeply then dug his fist into the moist ground. Kagome gasped as she saw him, "Inuyasha…" tears swelled up in her eyes, "Hm," she wiped them away and gave him a determined smile, "we'll get her back, I promise!"

Inuyasha stared at her until the first ray of light caught his eye. He stood upright and returned her smile. "Hm" he nodded.

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Hoshiko walked towards the village, trying to hide her blood stained fingers from the nearby villagers. As she looked into their eyes, she saw fear. It made her cringe for she had seen their gazes before.

The memories soon came flooding in…

Once, when she was very small, Inuyasha had asked her to go to the nearest town and buy fruit. The nearby trees had been ambushed by larks, leaving nothing but rotting fruit on the ground. Furious, Inuyasha tried killing every single bird that rested on the tree, and after screaming for 10 long minutes atop the tree he decided to come down.

"Hoshiko, do you think you can walk to the nearest town and buy us some fruit? Can you do that for me?" she remembered the exact words he had said that day as if it had only been a few minutes ago, "Sure, father!" she had smiled greatly.

Inuyasha gave her directions then watched her disappear beyond the hills. As she walked away from her house, she felt panic growing inside her. It had been the first time she walked out of the house without him.

When she reached the village, the villagers had given her the same look of fear that she was now seeing. She still felt the sharp pain of every rock that had damaged her small body as if they barely struck her.

Yet she had been merely five years old when the nightmare happened. The villagers grew outraged that a demon had walked so gracefully into their markets that they began bombarding her with rocks of all sizes. They struck her harshly. She had yelped when the raged edges of the hardened sand touched her flesh.

After thoughts of death rained upon her, Inuyasha leaped in front of her. Hoshiko had never seen him so angry! He glared at them carefully. She believed that he wanted to remember the look of their terrified faces before he slaughtered them.

Afterwards, the cries of the villagers began to rise. In her memories, the screams of pain had grown every time she thought of them. She knew that Inuyasha had never wanted to disturb her so she didn't blame him for those horrible memories. He was only trying to protect her. She blamed the villagers instead, for upsetting him in such a way.

Hoshiko walked with a lowered head. Their stares began to weigh down her senses. She walked slowly to see if anyone would be kind enough to help her. She doubted it though. One woman emerged from the shadows and greeted her warmly. _Has she seen my demon ears yet? _She asked herself.

"What is your name, child?" the old woman asked, faintly. Her eyes were covered by wrinkles as well as her small mouth. Yellow, murky teeth shown through her smile as she looked up at her. "Hoshiko" she whispered back.

"Ah, what a fine name it is! Come, come, you must be hungry!" she led her into a humble house with bamboo shades. Inside Hoshiko was offered tea and some rice balls, which she delightfully ate in silence. "Tisk, tisk.. What you gotten yourself into, my child?" the woman asked, staring at Hoshiko's blood stained kimono and hands.

Before Hoshiko could begin her elaborate lie, the woman proclaimed, "We must wash that right out!" Then took hold of her and walked outside. Hoshiko stood beside the house, patiently, until the old woman returned with a wash basin filled with pure water. She muttered a gentle "thank you" and began washing her face and fingers.

"Why" began Hoshiko, then swallowed the bits of rice ball that tickled her throat, "have you been so kind to a mere demon child such as myself?"

The old woman stopped to turn to look at her. She looked into the child's eyes in disbelief, "Why? Are you not a child in need of help? For if you don't want it, you can leave!" she shouted.

Hoshiko gasped at the response, '_Could I have offended her?_'

"I apologize for the question. You see, I don't find such sympathetic villagers for the lack of human ears." She took hold her black dog ears with both hands and pulled them down, "Who would be so kind as you when they realize I carry demon blood?" She looked down, almost ashamed, then recoiled underneath her blankets.

'_Inuyasha…_' she cringed underneath her bedding, shivers began to haunt her body when she thought of him. '_Father... Please forgive me! I didn't intend to hurt you! I will get rid of this curse and once more regain the warmth of your embrace. But for now, I mustn't let you find me!_'

Golden rays emerged through the bamboo shades. They shone onto Hoshiko's face, making her eyes shimmer like stars embedded in the night sky. Before another thought arose through her mind, her eyes closed and she fell asleep.


	15. Chapter 15

Authors Note:

I had to put more thought into this chapter so I hope you guys can understand it and like it too. Please read and review, thanks!

* * *

'_That wrenched girl! She'll pay for what she did to my son!_' with teeth clenched the old woman spread the bamboo shades to display a hanyou sleeping peacefully on the floor. 

She walked in with a bucket of water and placed it over a small fire near Hoshiko's face. As she felt the heat of the flames, she opened her eyes gently. The first thing she saw was a bright yellow light escaping the flames then the figure of the old woman who had given her shelter the night before. Her mouth curved into a smile as she said, "Good morning"

The old woman looked at her from the corner of her eye. It seemed she was displeased at her comment yet she smiled and offered her tea. "Thank you" she replied and sipped her tea. A faint, horrid smell emerged from the tea. It was the same smell she had encountered in Kagome's medicine kit.

'_what's in this tea?_' she stared at the brown mixture for a while before she began to feel light-headed. "Uh.. My head. What's happening?" Hoshiko dropped the clay cup onto the floor boards where it smashed into pieces, spilling the tea.

"Hm, I see my tea is taking affect. That's good."

'_That voice.. Is it?_'

Hoshiko numbly turned her head towards the old woman. She smirked a great and evil smile that managed to create fear in her. Soon after two more blinks, her vision became blurred and her limbs started to collapse around her. Before long, she herself dropped to the floor. The weight of her body seemed to increase greatly in a matter of seconds. Now she was too heavy to pull herself off the floor.

"What did you do to me?" she screamed at the old woman. The fear she had once seen in the villager's faces was now embedded onto her face. Images of Inuyasha flashed in her mind, how she wished he was there to save her! Although, for all the times he had managed to get there at the very last second this was a time she knew that her bravery and strength would have to be used. That is, if she would only let go of her fear.

"Feeling numb, are we?" replied the old woman, "What a pity. If you were all human I'd be able to finish you off with only one drink but then my plan wouldn't work." she frowned, "You better thank your father for giving you demon blood. That retched half-breed has always managed to cause trouble!" She turned back to her concoction and stirred it gently while humming a tune.

"What do you want from me?" Hoshiko yelled as she watched the woman, "I haven't done anything to you!"

The phrase must of angered her for she took out a dagger from her sleeve as she swirled around to face Hoshiko. The blade touched the skin of her neck just barely but managed to cut when she turned the blade sideways.

"If I didn't want to lure that useless half-breed here, I would of already killed you from the moment you walked into my village!" the old woman bellowed loudly at the hanyou's face, "Oh, that's right… My tea will only numb you for a while since you're a half-breed too. But when Inuyasha comes, he will see how his meek little daughter is slaughtered right before his eyes. So you see, I want him to suffer as I have!"

"I don't know what you're talking about!" she said. Her efforts to move never succeeded as the only thing she could move was her mouth and eyes. Every other part of her body was paralyzed, at least for now. "Humph," the woman created a disgusted face and turned once more, "Your retched father sent my son away from me! He killed him while trying to save you, a worthless little girl!"

Hoshiko gasped. '_The demon.. From the forest.. I remember now._'

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Kagome kneeled over her backpack as she placed all her items back in. "Hairspray, first aid kit, Inuyasha's dog food.. I think I have everything!" she smiled triumphantly. Miroku had made sure that the fire was put out while Sango feed Shippo and Kirara. "That's good!" yelled Sango from afar, "we can travel once more then." she smiled at the miko.

Kagome picked up her great, yellow backpack and walked towards her friend after she looked up at the depressed dog demon. He wouldn't come down from the tree, it was almost as if the trees were a haven to him, where he could think in private.

When they began to walk, Inuyasha, of course, was in front. He walked at a fast pace and never bothered to stop or turn around when a comment was made. They all understood that he wanted Hoshiko back. Everyone missed her joyful expressions, childish comments and magical way of creating happiness.

Although, Kagome knew that she resembled Inuyasha the most. Even though she looked very much like the silver-haired hanyou, Hoshiko also had some of his characteristics. Hoshiko, like Inuyasha, was stubborn and brave. She enjoyed doing everything herself and disliked having to ask for help even though she usually needed it. What shocked them for the most part was her loving and caring ways were the same as any human. It was as if she wasn't a demon at all.

Since she was only a young hanyou at the age of twelve, her whole personality mustn't be entirely developed or perhaps Hoshiko embraced her human side mainly than her demon one. For whatever the case, they all cared for her deeply just the same.

"Inuyasha," Sango said suddenly, "I know this is a hard time for you but you must understand that we are here for you whenever you need us." Kagome nodded, "That's right!"

"And, you must also understand," she continued, "That I myself know the pain you must feel."

'_Right, Kohaku_.' he thought, '_It must almost kill her to admit it._'

He kept walking as if the words had gone unheard and paused by a cliff where there lay a town underneath. "I can smell her" he whispered, then jumped down.

"Inuyasha! Don't leave us behind!" yelled Miroku as he watched the half-demon leap down the rocky cliff.

Shippo transformed into a giant, pink balloon and floated down with Kagome on his back while Sango and Miroku rode Kirara's back. When they reached the bottom of the cliff, they could see Inuyasha running towards the town. They all dismounted and ran after him with heavy hearts. Would they find Hoshiko there?

Inuyasha halted at the very end of the town and sniffed the air once more, "What the..?" He began to sprint again yet faster this time for the scent he caught was of Hoshiko's blood.

The old woman smirked as she looked at Hoshiko, "He's finally here."

Anxious, Inuyasha followed the scent until he came to a humble cabin at the corner of the town. It had brown bamboo shades with two windows on the sides. Inside, he could smell Hoshiko. He growled softly as he walked towards it. Steadily, his heart beat grew louder. He knew he was afraid of what he might see inside.

As he spread the bamboo shades apart, he saw that the cabin was empty. Was his nose wrong? How could it be! That's impossible! He knew she was there, or at least was there.

"Nani?" he blinked with confusion.

He took a step into the cabin yet that's when his nose picked up her scent again. He heard Kagome's voice coming from outside yell, "Inuyasha! Come, look!"

He turned and saw that the rest of the gang had caught up with him. They seemed to be watching something dreadfully vile for they gasped with mouths wide open. He made his way to Kagome's side and shouted, "What do you want?"

As he arched his head to the direction of her out-stretched finger, he saw Hoshiko. A growl emerged from his lips. His daughter lay in chains onto a tree where an old woman was stroking her long, black hair. The cackle that soon rang out of the old woman made everyone's skin curl. "You must be that filthy half-breed, Inuyasha. Humph, I expected you to be taller"

"And who are you?" he shouted, "what are you doing with my daughter?"

With a firm hand on Tetsusaiga, Inuyasha approached the old woman with cautious steps. "My scent doesn't come familiar to you? What a shame. I suppose an introduction wouldn't hurt." she moved her silver tresses from her eyes and continued, "I am the mother of the demon who you slaughtered to save this worthless hanyou girl! And now I shall return the favor."

"Look well, Inuyasha," she said, "for you will have the chance to watch your daughter die!" The same dagger that she had used to cut Hoshiko's throat was now in her hand. She twisted the blade to the right then to the left. Her eyes fell hard into Hoshiko's as she raised her hand above her chest.

'_Hoshiko_' Inuyasha's eyes widened at the sight of the dagger. Tears were streaming down the tiny hanyou's face, "Hoshiko! No!"

"Wind Tunnel!" the gusts of wind smashed against the demon's body as it dragged her into it's shadowy deeps. A scream rang out of her lips before she dug her claws into the earth. "I won't be killed so easily!" she managed to scream beyond the wild winds. Inuyasha, who hadn't been able to get away, had been dragged away by the winds and now flew towards Miroku. He placed his sacred beads in front of his Wind Tunnel and watched how Inuyasha landed on his feeble body.

With a shriek from Inuyasha, both crashed into the dusty ground creating a giant cloud of dirt.

The demon stood up and began to ran towards Hoshiko. She limped with every step but her determination was still there. Inuyasha got up from Miroku and ran. If the woman had been younger, she would of surely reached Hoshiko in time yet her legs had become weak with age and she failed to reach the girl.

Inuyasha now stood around 5 feet in front of Hoshiko, who struggled to move once more. The old woman laughed in his face. "I will kill her even if I must kill you first!"

She brought out a twig from one of her sleeves that transformed into a sword as she placed it in front of her, facing the dog demon. Her yellow teeth showed from underneath her wrinkled lips. She thrusted the sword at him from the right and then brought it up to smash his head with one blow.

He drew the Tetsusaiga with a menacing smirk. He blocked the attack with great success but the old woman wouldn't let him rest. After one blow was dodged another was thrown.

Before long, Inuyasha and the old woman had reached the tree where Hoshiko was chained on. She tried to speak yet the cloth in her mouth wouldn't let her. She tried to move but the chains were too tight. And how her heart ached when she finally saw the sword fall on Inuyasha's arm. He screamed in pain but it only made him grow even more furious.

When he saw his chance he was able to attack her. He sinked his hand in his wounded arm. "Blades of Blood!"

Two of the blades managed to cut the woman's hand, making her drop her sword. Another pierced her chest, creating a wound bigger than his. He smirked and said, "How do you like that?"

Before anyone could cheer with victory, Inuyasha screamed yet again in pain. As he fell to the ground a horrible sight could be seen. Hoshiko had burst through the chains and slashed Inuyasha. Her eyes glowed red again. Two purple strips were painted on her cheeks, which meant that she had been able to tap into her demon blood and transform. She glared at Kagome and said in a deep voice, "I let you escape once, my poor little miko, yet you won't escape this time!"

"Hoshiko, don't…" Inuyasha whispered to her in a desperate attempt to set her free. As the hanyou girl walked past the demon mother, she looked into her eyes the same way she had before raising the dagger. Her lips quivered in a snarl, displaying Hoshiko's fangs. "Good for nothing demon!" she bellowed and sinked her claws onto her back.

The old woman didn't even let out a screech in pain when the claws met her skin but instead gripped Hoshiko's legs and said, "As a mother, I see that you have grown into something different. Your father must be suffering enough. My deed is somehow repaid." Her arms gently lost it's strength and slipped away. Her rotting corpse was devoured by the wind as her ashes flew away.

She stomped over the left over ashes towards Kagome. "Haven't had enough?" she yelled. "I didn't think you'd be so foolish."

'_Her voice.. It's not the same. Can it be?_' Kagome thought. '_It's Naraku!_'

"Snap out of it, Hoshiko!" yelled Kagome, "Just search deeper and I know u have the power to overcome him! Please, if not for me then for Inuyasha!" She pointed at the hanyou. He held his stomach tightly with one hand while he pulled himself off the ground with the other using Tetsusaiga.

The small hanyou bolted towards the miko. She slashed inches away from her chest which only cut part of her hair. She gasped. Her fear began to grow as Hoshiko started to slash her rapidly. Miroku and Sango tried to get her off but both encountered serious wounds to their arms.

When Miroku and Sango finally backed down to cure their injuries, Kagome ran away from Inuyasha and the others. '_Someone will come to help me, I'm positive!_' she thought as she heard Hoshiko's feet jolt after her.

Her pants grew louder as she entered the quiet forest. Not even the hanyou's steps could be heard anymore. This made Kagome even more frightened, she wouldn't know from where Hoshiko was coming from.

Long, yellow lights flashed in front of her, bringing with them was massive gust of winds. "Iron Reaver Soul Stealer!" could be heard faintly in the canopy of trees. But the voice couldn't be Inuyasha's. He wouldn't attack Kagome so it must be…

"Hoshiko!"

Kagome managed to escape the attack as she jumped to the side. When she looked towards the cuts in the ground, she saw that the attack had been as powerful as if it had been Inuyasha himself.

Hoshiko sprang down from the trees and stood in front of Kagome. Her nose curled, as if disgusted. She took one look at her before sinking her claws into her leg. Kagome screamed loudly as her flesh tore with every fingernail.

Hoshiko's smirk started to fade until a blank expression replaced it. She blinked for a while. She finally turned her head backwards, towards Inuyasha. The stench of his and Kagome's blood now filled her nostrils. And even though it pained her do to so, she kept her eyes fixed on him.

He had dragged his injured body to were they now lay. The mossy ground began to stain with blood. Kagome's leg must be broken now since the pain had now become a numbness. Inuyasha's eyes flickered.

Kagome gasped softly. '_Is he crying? For me?_' she thought.

Flashback

He saved his last breath to tell her, "I-I love…you…"

End Flashback

'_That's right.. he had confessed that he loved me. But what if all that was a horrible dream? I could of actually fallen down a cliff instead and not known. Yet his tears are so real.. Maybe he did say that._'

Hoshiko's head began to tremble as Naraku's spell began to over-power her. The her lips started to quiver as the purple light slowly emerged from her back. It grew steadily until she burst out in a scream. She grasping her kimono as blood ran down her nose.

"Hoshiko.." Kagome whispered. She felt a tightening in her chest, "I know your still there, please.. come back to us! We need you. Inuyasha needs you!"

Kagome's words sank deep within her, merging with feelings of pain, regret and sorrow. No one had cared so much about her before, not a human at least. Kagome was willing to place herself in mortal danger to help her. It felt like motherly love, something that Hoshiko had never experienced.

"Ka-Kago-me, I-I want t-to" her small hands left her leg and the pain began again. Her hands and head trembled terribly as she tried to stand. The color of her eyes had now become a light pink.

"Inuyasha!" shouted Kagome suddenly, "What are you doing?"

The dog demon had just sunk the tip of his mighty fang into Hoshiko's back. Kagome had grown horrified, thinking the worst of him yet as Hoshiko fell to her knees so did a Shikon shard.

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"It was the only way!" shouted Inuyasha at the furious miko.

"Yea, the only one you could think of! Why are you insensitive, Inuyasha?" she turned her head away.

"Feh, it worked!"

Inuyasha and Kagome walked towards the village to rest and regroup. Kagome had grown angry after the incident in the forest, she described it as "foolish" and "rash". Yet Inuyasha didn't care, as long as Hoshiko was safe and Kagome was alive then he wouldn't dare of thinking about anything else.

Since Kagome couldn't walk, Inuyasha placed one arm around her waist to make sure she wouldn't fall while Hoshiko rested face-first on his shoulder. After the shard was removed Hoshiko had fainted.

"Poor thing, I wish we could of helped more." said Sango while they all stared at Hoshiko's cuts. The blood from her nose had been cleaned and the twigs from hair removed by Inuyasha himself. If anyone dared to touch the hanyou he'd growl menacingly, warning them to stay back. He stroked her hair every 2 seconds to make sure that it sparkled more than his. When he was satisfied, he lay beside her and let Kagome clean his wound.

"I told you we would get her back." Kagome smiled at the half-demon. His lips curved slightly yet never fully developed into a smile. She cleaned his wound with a cloth dipped in hot water. Inuyasha complained of the heat but she ignored him and kept curing him. "If you don't like it then why don't you do it!" she yelled after he took away the cloth from her hands.

She stood up to leave yet stopped when she felt his hand grab hers. She turned, confused.

Inuyasha stood up to face her, "Go ahead, cure my wound.. I want it gone as soon as possible" he handed her the cloth and sat back down. He looked up at her and raised his eyebrow, "what are you staring at?"

'_did he just…? Oh great! Now I'm blushing!_'

"Nothing" she waved her hands nervously across her face, "my mind is just playing tricks on me."

"Yea, it must always be doing that," he replied, "with you being so reckless and all."

"You're the least person to be saying that right now!" she yelled as she slapped him in the back. Not even a groan escaped from him yet he fell to the side anyways. "Oh, whoops!"


End file.
